Unholiest of Tortures
by FairyTale87
Summary: While snooping in Damon's room, Elena comes across his journal from when he was fifteen. And how does Bonnie and a time travel spell come into play? Havoc is sure to come...
1. Of Snooping and Stealing

_5 October 1859_

_ Today marks the ten year anniversary of Mother's death. Ten years without her laugh; her kindness; her safe arms- ten years without her._

_ I lost the one person that kept me from falling, that treacherous October night, and I broke; horridly so. A part of me had died; a part which held sympathy, kindness, joy. They all were taken from me, never to make their way back into my life. On October 5, ten years ago, I damned myself to a life of misery. I pushed aside all that reminded me of her. Mother had told me multiple times that I was congruent to her in every way. With the thirst for adventure, the craving to be loved unconditionally, the hunger to let every joy of life, no matter how small, sink in completely, and the urge to feel sympathy for each and every misfortune of everyone around me. I tore myself to pieces, banishing all of our similarities, so her memory could not haunt the Salvatore plantation. I did it for little Stefan who was only two at the time, I did it for Father's sake and sanity, I did it for myself. The more I tore from myself, the stronger her memory became. I could not get her from my thoughts. I was worried that my actions were too akin to hers, I worried that I was forgetting her too quickly. But I continued relentlessly to not let her shadow hover over me._

_ Father still despised me, though. I daresay that is what broke me. Two years after Mother's passing, I could no longer convince myself that Father just had a unique way of showing his love for me. The truth was, in fact, there was no love for me in his heart. My hatred for him grew rapidly after that epiphany. I recalled all of Mother's traits and exaggerated them, just to torture poor Giuseppe Salvatore and my God, did it work. I relished in his pain, for karma is the most unholy of tortures. Stefan still asks me to this day, why I torment Father the way I do. He wants to hate me for doing so, for he is swiftly becoming number one admirer of Father, but he cannot. Stefan looks up to me in awe, for I am so different from him and Father. I am still a mystery to Stefan even though he has been my brother for all thirteen years of his life. But I presume that is my doing. Stefan embodies Father flawlessly and I loathe everything that is Father, these days, so how could I ever let Stefan fully into my heart? Truth be told, I cannot. I have created immunity to my father, and in turn to Stefan, and I refuse to let down my walls to that virus. Admittedly, I have created a soft spot for Stefan. Slowly but surely, he is tearing at my wall, and by God, he's almost crumbled it down completely. I am still debating on whether this is good or bad. Ah, the joys of love and hate. _

* * *

Elena stared at the page before her. She hadn't intended on finding this book in her search for… what had she even been looking for, snooping around the Boarding House? Elena didn't have the slightest idea. But there she sat, on the floor of Damon Salvatore's room, reading his journal from when he was fifteen. Elena ran a hand through her hair, letting out a shaky breath. The spidery black writing seemed to burn into her head, every word Damon had written, swirling in the depths of her mind. Her emotions were all over the place. Realizations hit her like a thousand knives stabbing her all over her body. She couldn't breathe, she couldn't think; all that was on her mind was the pain and sympathy she now had for Damon Salvatore. His heart and soul was within the pages of the book that now sat on her lap. Elena was starting to peck at why Damon is the way he is, and she wasn't going to stop, until she had reached the bottom of it. The investigation of Damon Salvatore was officially opened. She shoved the journal into her bag to read later. Her head shot up when she heard the slamming of the front door.

"Shit", she breathed as she scurried quickly out of his room and leaned against the wall opposite of it. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath to compose herself, before walking down the stairs. Her clenched body relaxed when she saw Stefan in the parlor.

"Hi, Elena, what brings you here?" he questioned, cocking his head to the side.

"Oh, uhm, I thought I'd surprise you…"

"You're too sweet Elena," he smiled lightly kissing her on the lips.

"Ugh, you two and your sweetness," a voice came from the front door, "I might actually get a cavity from it," the couple turned to find Damon leaning against the doorframe, his arms and ankles crossed.

"Ha ha ha, Damon, you're _so_ funny," came Elena's voice. It was hard for her to be mean to him now. Damon shook his head smirking, and pushed off the doorframe, closing the door, and walked into the room.

"Have I ever told you, Elena, that you suck at comebacks?" he inquired, raising a dark eyebrow.

"And have I ever told you, _Damon,_ that your sarcasm is a nuisance?" she gave a slight smirk. Damon clapped his hands nonchalantly and sauntered closer to Stefan and Elena.

"Bravo, Elena, that wasn't half bad. Though we all know my sarcasm is _irresistible_," he gave Elena a flirty look. Elena rolled her eyes at him.

"Okay, guys, banter session officially over," Stefan said, trying to hide his jealousy. Damon gave him an annoyed look.

"Stefan, why don't you just go brood somewhere where you _can't_ be a buzz kill to the rest of the people around you?" Damon asked tiredly. This conversation was way past the point of entertaining. Stefan glared at him, and Damon returned the look.

"Uh, well, I take that as my cue to leave," Elena said. She gave Stefan a light kiss, "Bye Stefan," she turned to Damon, "Bye, Damon" she couldn't stop the smile that came to her lips. She quickly walked out the door before either brother could mention anything about it. Elena walked briskly to her house, eager to read more of Damon's journal. She reached the front door, and headed straight for her room. She opened the book and began to read:

_25 October 1859 _

_ My apologies for the long twenty day break. I have had nothing to write, no feelings I have the need to release. The situation with Father has been on my mind lately, though_

_. I am beginning to almost feel remorse about my actions toward Father. I kept waiting for Father to see I have been treating him in such a vulgar manner to display to him how I feel when he does such things to me; but it has never come. I am waiting for a hug, an 'I love you'; an absolution which will never come to my ears. My feelings are spinning an uneasy web in my head. The fine line between love and hate has dulled even more, and I haven't the slightest idea how to darken the line once more. _

* * *

Elena was broken from reading the entry when her phone vibrated. She had a text message. From Damon.

**You know, there, Elena, snooping and stealing isn't very nice ;)**

* * *

~Okay, so, that was chapter one. I know it was short, but I don't really know exactly where I'm going with this. I was thinking maybe involving Bonnie and a spell that transports Elena into 1860's Mystic Falls, before Katherine, but I'm not too sure. **Please, PLEASE give me your ideas!** I'm open to anything at the moment. And thank you to those that read, and an even bigger thank you to those who also review~ ;)

**Remember, reviews are love, people!**


	2. Of Mishaps and Spells

Damon's text sent Elena's heart into shock. _He knows! Oh, shit, he knows I stole it!_ She thought, mentally kicking herself for thinking she could steal something from a vampire without him knowing it. She shakily began to compose a reply.

**Ha, snooping and stealing? What did I steal? **

She pressed send, deciding to play the dumb act with him. A matter of seconds later, there was a knock at her window. Elena turned to find Damon staring at her from behind the glass. She took a heavy breath before getting off the bed and unlocking the window. Damon climbed in.

"Why'd you do it?" he asked, his expression unreadable.

'I- I was bored waiting for Stefan to get home, so I decided to roam around the house," at this she looked down and started twiddling her thumbs, "and I found myself in your room. I was looking in your closet, when the book fell from the top shelf. An- and I started reading it…" Elena dared to look up at Damon, to see him just staring back at her.

"Huh. Elena, I don't know what to say," his voice was light, barely a whisper.

"Damon Salvatore is speechless? Never thought I'd see that day," Elena replied, trying to make light of the situation. Damon sighed at this.

"You had no right. No right to read the journal; nonetheless be snooping around my room. And my _closet_, Elena?" A slight smirk shadowed across his lips before he went back to stone.

"I," she sighed, "I know; it was wrong. I'm sorry, Damon," her voice probably wasn't even audible to the human ear by now.

"Guess the damage is done, huh?" he countered blankly.

"Yeah, uh, I guess so,"

Damon turned to leave, when Elena caught him by the arm.

"So, you're uhm, not mad at me…?" she asked tentatively. She didn't want to push the subject, but she had to know.

"I'm not mad at you, Elena, just," he paused for a moment knitting his brows together, "disappointed…"

Elena saw the stony gaze pass over his steel blue eyes. He was concealing his feelings with the mask that Elena was all too familiar with. Elena met Damon's eyes, locking them in an intense stare; cerulean clashing with chocolate. She bit her lip in anticipation until her teeth had made her labium crimson.

"Look, Damon, I-"

"No, really, it's fine; that stuff was written a _very _long time ago. It's the past. But I must say, there are some interesting things in there. If only you could actually_ see_ them," with that he gave a smirk and made his way out the window, sinking into the depths of the night.

Elena stood stagnant in her room, not remembering how to breathe or move her limbs. Her brain however, was working triple overtime. It both amazed her and scared her to death that the idea of losing Damon had worried her so much. She had been about ready to drop to her knees and plead, if he had said he was mad, or worse hated her. Elena furrowed her brow in frustration. _Damn, why does Damon have that much of an effect on me, _she thought to herself. Finally braking from her torpid position, she sat cross-legged on her bed and picked up Damon's journal. She flipped to a random date and read:

_31 December 1860_

_Today marks the final day of the year of Our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty. I am bittersweet about the change. Part of me is pleased- this new year is a melting pot for new beginnings and a welcomed goodbye to all failed endings. The other part of me is angered- there was so much more I wanted to prove and do during this year, but starting tomorrow, it will be as if my slate has been wiped clean. I apologize thoroughly, dear friend, for not having more to write; life on the Plantation has been quite uneventful. __Arrivederc__i._

Elena sat the book on her nightstand and allowed her mind to wander. She replayed the incident with Damon over and over, until something caught her attention. _"There are interesting things in there. If only you could actually _see _them," _Damon had said. Elena's brown eyes widened and her body shot up off the bed, scrambling to her dresser.

"Bonnie," she whispered. Yes, Bonnie could help her. Elena grabbed her phone from the dresser and frantically texted her friend. She glanced quickly at her clock- 7:30, it read.

**Bonnie is it 2 late 4 me 2 come over? I have a huge favor 2 ask u…**

She sat waiting for her phone to buzz. She took another nervous look at the clock. 7:35. She began to pick at her nails and twirl her hair around her index finger to keep herself busy. Moments later, her phone vibrated.

"Thank you," she breathed, seeing the text message ID.

**Uh, yea sure. Come on over… **

She picked the journal off the table and ran downstairs. Elena rushed out the door, grabbing her keys from the rack that was beside the door as she went, and leapt into her car. The excitement built inside her with every inch closer her car got to her best friend's house. Finally, the house came into view. Elena never thought she'd be so thrilled to see the Bennett house. She pulled quickly up the driveway and parked the car. Journal in tow, she walked up the few steps to the porch. Knocking on the door, Bonnie opened it seconds later.

"Hey, Lena, come in," Bonnie smiled, opening the door further to allow room for her friend to enter. When they reached the parlor, Bonnie wasted no time on small-talk.

"So, what's this favor you told me about?"

"Well, I was wondering if you had a spell that allows you to see into the past…" Elena felt like an idiot the second the words passed her lips.

"A spell to- why do you need a spell to see into the past? Elena, sweetie, is this about your parents?" Bonnie put a comforting hand on Elena's shoulder, steering her to the couch.

"No," she said as she sat, "it's not my parents. I want to see into Damon and Stefan's past," she broke eye contact with Bonnie.

"Damon and Stefan's," she said flatly. Bonnie wasn't warming up to this idea nicely. Elena had to think of something, and fast, to convince her friend otherwise.

"Yes, Stefan and Damon's. And- and plus, with me in the past, Klaus can't get to me; I'd be perfectly safe. Come on, Bonnie, do this, for me," she looked at her friend with a new rush of confidence, "please," she begged. Elena could see Bonnie's hard exterior fading.

"Alright, Elena, but only because I love you," she gave her a light smile.

"Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you, Bonnie!" Elena said as she threw her arms around her best friend.

"You're welcome," she chuckled, "let me just go get the Grimoire, and we'll see what we can find," and with that, she made her way up the stairs. Elena couldn't stop smiling. She could finally understand the Salvatore brother's relationship, and more importantly, Damon himself.

"Okay, got it," Bonnie waved the book in the air as she came down the stairs. She took a seat by Elena and opened the old book.

"So, how exactly do we find it in here?"

"Well, it's formatted just like any other book; each type of spell is its own chapter," Bonnie explained as she sifted through the pages. "Ah, here we go!" she exclaimed.

"You found it! Okay, well, um, how do we do this? Where should I stand? Is it going to hurt?" Elena's brain was on haywire because of her excitement.

"Elena, chill. Where you're standing is fine. And no, I don't think it'll hurt. But for how we do it," she glanced down at the book skimming the spell, "I just need to hold your hand and recite. Sounds easy enough!" Bonnie smiled and took Elena's hand in hers. Nerves began to overtake Elena, and she clenched even tighter to the journal in her hand.

Bonnie began to chant in Latin. Elena could feel the jolts of electricity surge through her as the spell worked its magic. Suddenly, Bonnie's chants became distant and she was speedily moving away from Elena… or was Elena moving away from her? _What the hell is happening?_ Elena thought frantically as her friend disappeared from view. In her place were bursts of color- reds and blues and purples rushed by her in a frenzy. A harsh wind struck Elena's face as she continued her decent to wherever the hell she was headed. She began to feel like Alice falling down the rabbit hole; when was it ever going to end? Just as quickly as the thought had entered her mind, she hit the ground. Her skin tingled and tickled against what she assumed, and prayed, was grass. Slowly getting up, she brushed off her clothes. The second her hand felt the fabric she realized something was off. No longer was she feeling the denim of her jeans, but she felt cotton; and she was wearing a dress. Elena attempted to take in a breath of shock but was hindered by the article of clothing she felt pressing agonizingly against her ribs. _A corset? _She thought, _this cannot be good. _ She picked up the heavy materials that made up her dress, and walked blindly through the night. She could make out trees and could hear the occasional bunny rush across the openings of what she assumed to be the forest. When she could no longer see the outline of trees, she presumed she had made it to some kind of clearing. During her walk in the forest, the sky had somehow found a way to grow even darker. Walking blindly ahead, Elena felt herself smash into something- someone, to be exact. Elena fell to the ground in lack of anticipation to the hit.

"My God," she heard a man mutter, "are you alright, miss?"

Elena hugged Damon's journal closer to her chest in fear. "Who are you," she found herself asking.

"Jonathan," he replied clasping his hand around one of Elena's and pulling her up, "and your name, miss?" he asked kindly.

_Oh fuck,_ Elena thought. Elena Gilbert had officially entered the 1860s; and with a bang.

Okay, so how was that for chapter two? I wasn't completely too sure. Please tell me any suggestions you have on this chapter, or, as always, suggestions for future chapters. Thank you to all who reviewed for chapter one; you all are too kind and amazing hopefully you continue your support and review for this chapter too (no matter how bad it was? Lol)

**Remember, reviews are love, people! ;)**


	3. Of Debriefing and Family Ties

**Quick Author's Note: **Alright, so, in the last chapter when John introduces himself, please forget he said 'Gilbert '. I know this sounds stupid, but trust me, it's important to know for the story ;) and also, I never actually watched Season 1 all the way through, so, I haven't seen all the episodes with segments from 1864, so if the characters are slightly different, please don't hate me. Haha I'm making it more original.

"You what?" Damon yelled exaggerating the 'T'.

"You heard what I said, Damon," Bonnie replied; a fire in her eyes.

"I can't believe you actually allowed Elena to travel back in time. Did common sense totally _escape_ you?" he glared, "What the hell am I supposed to tell Stefan? 'Oh, yeah, remember how I promised to take care of the love of your life? Well, right now she's somewhere in the 1860s. Hope that's alright, Bro.' Yeah, he'll be_ thrilled_ about that," Damon downed his glass of bourbon.

"Look, I hate this just as much as you do. And for Elena, I'm willing to put aside our differences to get her back. Come on, Damon, you're the only one who knows 1860s Mystic Falls," Damon opened his mouth to counter Bonnie's statement when she interrupted, "Because you know as well as I, we can't ask Stefan; he'll freak. And to make it worse, Katherine's in the tomb with him. This is delicate information. We can't risk the chance of Katherine Pierce knowing where her doppelganger is," Damon sighed at this.

"Katherine's not our problem here, Bonnie. The Originals are. Elijah has fucking _seen_ her. That right there is our problem. Klaus is our problem too; but Katherine? What could she do," Damon reached for the container of bourbon and poured another glass for himself.

"You're impossible, Damon! After everything she's done, you still can't let her be pinned for anything. She's a liar, a traitor- an epic bitch. When are you going to get that through your thick skull?" Bonnie burst into figurative flames at this point.

"Oh, _sweet little Bonnie_, I got that a long time ago," he flexed his free hand and downed the rest of his drink.

"Look, right now, let's not fight about this, okay?" she said quietly, "This isn't about your stupidity or my grudge against you. This is about _Elena_. And I know you care about her just as much, maybe even more, than I do. Pretend all you want, but you wouldn't be able to live with yourself if something happened to her," she looked at him intently, hoping her comment had hit a soft spot in Damon. He looked at her, opened his mouth to shoot back some smartass comment, but it never came. He sighed, and ran a hand through his raven black hair.

"Fine," he finally surrendered, "what do I have to do?" He hated having to agree and work with the little witch, but this was _Elena_- the fucking love of his life; and his brother's. He couldn't be selfish with her.

A look of relief flooded Bonnie's face when she heard his compliance. "I checked the spell again, last night. I tore it to shreds, getting every detail. There's nothing we can do about the time-span; it's set: two weeks," at this point Damon gave her a look of 'So? Who cares? Cut to the chase.' Bonnie gave an annoyed glance then continued, "And Jenna won't be too happy with Elena being gone for two whole weeks," she gave a look at Damon, hoping he was catching on to what she was asking.

"You want me to compel Jenna," it wasn't a question. Bonnie gave a light nod.

Damon walked over to a table by the fireplace and picked up his keys and leather jacket. He motioned for Bonnie to follow him. Bonnie held her Grimoire to her chest and followed him to the blue mustang. The ride was silent, neither party desiring small-talk. Pulling into Elena's driveway finally, Damon was suddenly tense. The fact that Elena wasn't in there, wasn't even in this era, made the reality and severity of the situation hit Damon right in the face. _Seeing is believing, _he thought.

The pair walked up the porch. Bonnie hesitantly knocked on the door. Her mind was still whirling, kicking itself for allowing Damon to compel Elena's guardian, but concluded it was the only thing to do. They couldn't have a furious Jenna on their hands; there was already too much to worry about. Moments later, the door flew open, exposing a sleep deprived Jenna. Her auburn hair was tangled, sticking out this way and that. Her eyes were reddish, and the blackness under them was too bold to not be looked over. Jenna looked as if she had been through World War II. Holding the door open wider, Jenna stepped aside to let Damon and Bonnie pass over the threshold. She turned to Bonnie once they were seated on the couch and Damon in the chair adjacent to it.

"Bonnie," Jenna began pleadingly, "please tell me you know where Elena is. She- she didn't come home last night. I stayed up all night waiting, and she was still MIA. And now," she gave a quick glance at the clock, "it's 11:30 in the morning and she's still not here. Please tell me you know where she is," there was a pained, distraught look splattered over Jenna's features; she looked like hell. Bonnie just stared at the woman, not knowing what to say.

"Wow, Jenna, nice bracelet," Damon gave his best, yet totally insincere, smile, "can I see it?"

At this, a look of utter astonishment passed over both Jenna and Bonnie's faces.

"Damon," Bonnie protested, but was silenced when she received a glare from Damon silently telling her 'Hush, let the master work his magic'.

Damon turned his attention back to Jenna. "The bracelet, Jenna?" he raised a dark eyebrow. When Jenna refused to comply, Damon rolled his cobalt eyes and grabbed Jenna's wrist, unlatching the vervain filled wristlet. Before a protest could even begin its attempt to come out, Damon locked gazes with Jenna.

"Elena is safe. You don't need to know where she is, and you will not ask questions about her whereabouts. When she returns, it will be as if she never left," he paused to let the information sink in, before continuing, "Repeat it," he commanded.

At this point, if he had told her to jump, she would've asked 'How high'? "Elena is safe. I don't need to know her whereabouts, nor will I ask questions. When she returns, it will be as if she never left," Jenna repeated in a dazed voice. Damon smirked in satisfaction before returning the bracelet.

He broke their gaze, and Jenna blinked hard, as her senses returned back to reality. The tense aura that had possessed Jenna was gone; leaving her with a blithe persona. A moment later, Jeremy Gilbert entered the room. Again, the tense vibe entered the room. Jeremy had a look of complete and utter panic painted on his features. He noticed Jenna's newfound calmness, and turned his attention to her.

"Jenna, did you find Elena?" Hopefulness clouded Jeremy's voice.

"Oh, Jeremy, she's safe," she flicked her hand in his direction, as if dismissing his comment.

"Then where is she?" A tentative look passed over his face.

"It doesn't matter where she is; she's safe. There's no need to ask questions. She's fine," Jenna smiled.

Suddenly it hit Jeremy: _compulsion, _he thought. He turned on his heel, to face a very smug looking Damon. His blue eyes glistened with taunting mischief as his lips displayed a smirk. He leaned back in his chair, propping his arm on the armrest and leaning his chin on his fist. Jeremy got a fire in his eyes and looked about ready to pounce. Damon tried to hold back a laugh at the boy's defensiveness. He loved fucking with Jeremy; it was too easy. _Ah, teenagers and their fickle emotions_, Damon thought. Jeremy turned to his guardian.

"Jenna, Damon and I are gonna go up to my room," he gave a glare to Damon, and turned to Bonnie, "you can come too," he smiled dreamily. Bonnie offered a small smile before getting up, Grimoire in tow, and walked toward Jeremy ready to go up. Damon, however, stayed stagnant. He crossed his legs, just to further prove his point: there was no way in hell Damon Salvatore was going to move. Bonnie raised an eyebrow at him, silently reminding him of who they were here for in the first place. The smirk on the vampire's face faded for a second; if anyone in the room had blinked, they would've missed the rush of humanity that passed over Damon. He took a heavy breath before dramatically getting out of the chair. He sauntered over to the two teenagers, before allowing the youngest Gilbert to lead them upstairs. When they got to their destination, Jeremy walked into his room, and turned around with his arms crossed.

"What's all this about? Compelling my _aunt_?"

"Look, Saint Jeremy, I get that you want to be all high and mighty, but get off your high horse. It's the twenty-first century, my man, at least drive a Ferrari or something of the sort. Horses are so… archaic," he smirked while winking at Jeremy and sauntered past him and into the room.

"You're not funny, Damon," Bonnie said as she walked into the room, the Grimoire tucked under her arm.

"Two points for ingenuity," he smirked.

"Just talk, Damon, what's going on," Jeremy asked, reminding the bickering two of his presence.

"Why don't _you_ do the honors, Bonnie," he turned his head to face her, revealing a simper plastered on his perfectly designed face.

Bonnie closed her eyes, exhaling shakily. "Jeremy, you have to understand, Elena was very convincing," she lost eye contact, suddenly embarrassed of her stupidity. She was always so self-conscious around Jeremy; he had a way of messing with her mind, and she wondered if he even knew the intensity his presence had over her.

"She was convincing," he deadpanned, "convincing of what, exactly?" His dark brows furrowed close, shadowing his chocolate eyes; he looked like a goddamned beautiful dark angel to Bonnie. And the way his rough voice sounded as sweet as honeysuckle had her knees trembling. It took her a moment to regain her composure before continuing to explain.

"She came to me last night, asking if I knew of a time travel spell. At first I thought it was to see her parents again, but she said no," she took this chance to look up at Jeremy. He gave her a nod, silently begging her to continue, she gave a tight-lipped smile and continued, "She wanted to- to see Damon and Stefan's past," Jeremy gave her a blank look; there were many pasts to the history of the Salvatore brothers, so she clarified, "the 1860s past," her voice got softer as she simplified. An unknown look passed over Jeremy's features. Confusion, anger, paranoia, and alarm laced together to form a very unstable teenager.

"Y- You sent my sister to the 1800s," he gave a nervous laugh, running a shaking hand through his messy russet hair. "What the hell, Bonnie," he gave an exasperated look, "and how in the world is the fact she wanted to see their past convincing?" he crossed his arms, tilting his head to the side and gave Bonnie and expectant look.

"She told me, that with her in the past, Klaus couldn't get to her; that she'd be safe," suddenly her chipped nail polish became very interesting, and she began to pick at it. An intense silence overtook the trio. No one even dared to breathe, in fear of breaking the silence. Jeremy's heavy sigh suddenly broke the stillness. Bonnie glanced up at the young Gilbert, and noticed his face had softened.

"I guess I can understand why you did it," he gave a small smile; "Elena's safety is all that matters, right?"

The vampire suddenly pushed off the wall he'd been leaning on though the whole debriefing.

"Look," he drawled, "yes, we know, saving Elena, it's the big theme of the year. But one question, younglings, what all do we know about the spell," he looked at Bonnie, "there must be more information other than the two week time-span," he crossed his arms, slowly tapping his foot.

"I've set up a counter-spell. The initial time travel spell doesn't erase the memory of the traveler, so I put one on which will wipe out all recollection of Elena being there," _I hope_, Bonnie silently finished.

**1861 (starts right where Chapter Two left it) **

"Jonathan Gilbert?" Elena asked hopefully. The elder Gilbert looked at the girl curiously.

"May I inquire how you know this?" Jonathan asked tentatively.

"My name is Elena Gilbert, sir. I am a distant relative,"

"From where, Ms. Gilbert?" he raised a cautious eyebrow.

"Albany, New York, sir," Elena gave as little detail as possible, because in all honesty, even _she_ didn't know the details.

"How is it, I have not met you?" Jonathan still wasn't taking the bait. She'd have to dazzle him a bit more, before her reasons would be accepted.

"I have been alienated from the family for many years. I have fallen on hard times, though, sir. After my parents passing last year," the mention of her parents made her stifle back threatening tears, but she trudged on, "I was on my own. I had no inkling of how to sustain myself, and still do not. Hence, my sudden appearance here in Mystic Falls," Elena began to pray that Jonathan would accept that answer and just take her the hell out of the chilly forest. The cautious look that had painted Jonathan's was slowly disappearing.

"Well, Ms. Gilbert, you are welcome to stay with me. Family is always welcome in the Gilbert household," he gave a soft smile. He lingered his hand around her back, leading her south, and back through the trees which she had come from minutes before. A heavy mist hung low, wrapping around the Rosemary Pines, causing an eerie vibe. Elena felt as though she was in some reconstruction of the forest used in the _Twilight_ series. All that she needed was Edward Cullen, and she'd be set. _But I've got something better_, she thought, _Damon_. She smiled until reality finally hit her. Did she really just say 'Damon'? Maybe being with human Damon and Stefan would be harder than she thought. Elena quickly shook the thought from her mind of Damon ever being anything other than her boyfriend's brother, who had somehow shimmied himself into the title of friend.

Breaking from her thoughts, Elena noticed the plantation house about half a mile ahead. She pulled at her dress, picking up the heavy fabric in an attempt to gain a little more speed going toward the house, so her head could hit the comfort of a pillow sooner. Jonathan kept pace with Elena, being the oh so stereotypical Southern gentleman. He didn't dare talk unless spoken to, respecting her silent wishes to keep the journey quiet. As they approached the house, Elena let the beauty overpower her completely. A stone-paved walkway was surrounded on both sides by Bald Cypress trees covered in Spanish moss. The house could be seen clearly in the space between the two rows of Cypress trees. Seven marble columns wide, the house was massive. The top was sprinkled with windows protruding from the roof, and was a lush crimson. Soaring white marble columns enclosed the house on all four sides. A chandelier hung down by the main entrance. It glistened brightly, the fire burning wildly within it. The backdrop of the ebony sky and ivory radiant moon just added to the beauty that was the Gilbert plantation.

Finally reaching the front door, it opened, revealing a servant. The woman, no older than twenty, wore a simple yellow dress with an apron over it and a cap covering most of her ebony hair. The girl bowed her head, clasping her hands together by her lap. She moved out of the doorway to allow the Master and his guest to enter. Once both Gilberts had crossed the threshold, the girl quietly shut the door behind them. Jonathan dismissed the girl with the flick of his hand. Descending down the grand staircase to the right of the entrance was a woman dressed in a lavish emerald dress. The woman had porcelain skin, with perfectly blush cheeks. Her flaxen hair was in perfect curls, surrounding her face in a cascade of beauty. She reached the end of the staircase and approached Elena and Jonathan. She looked at Elena curiously.

"Jonathan," her voice was as sweet and soft as honeysuckle, "who is this young girl?" She glanced at Elena once more, looking at her from head to toe. Elena's white dress had become a bit dirty from her fall with John, but the roses that sprinkled the dress made up for the bits of dirt that speckled the back of it.

"Elena Gilbert, ma'am," Elena said as politely as she could muster. The woman turned to look at Jonathan for approval, and she received it with the nod of his head. A wide smile grew on her lips.

"Well," she drawled, "it is a pleasure to have you with us, Ms. Gilbert. How long will you be staying?" she cocked her head slightly to her left side.

At this point, John entered the conversation once more. "Florence, Elena was orphaned last year. She has come here for-"

"Family," she interrupted and smiled at Elena, "it will be nice to have another woman in the house. It can get quite dull, being the only female," Elena smiled in gratitude, and tried to stifle her yawn.

"You seem tired, sweetheart," she looked at John, "I'm taking her to the guest's quarters," with that, she turned and began to glide up the stairs like an angel. Elena scurried to catch up, managing to trip momentarily on the hem of her dress. When they reached the room, Florence opened the large oak door to reveal a large bed in the middle of the room. Elena could care less about the beauty of the room; her only care was going to sleep. She turned to Florence, eager to be alone.

"Thank you for your hospitality, ma'am. I think I will retire now," she gave a small smile. Florence nodded in understanding and quietly left the room, shutting the door lightly behind her.

Once alone, Elena took a heavy breath and put her hand on her forehead, closing her eyes momentarily.

_Why the hell did this happen to me?_ She pleaded with herself.

_Because, Elena, you decided to be an idiot and take my sarcasm seriously? _Replied a voice.

_D-Damon?_ Elena's eyes widened.

_Ding, ding, ding, we have a winner, _he drawled.

"How is this possible," she whispered to herself.

Okay, so that was chapter three. I want to give a huge thank you to all of those who helped me with ideas for this chapter. I especially want to thank **smithsbabe65 **for her genius ideas about Bonnie's counter-spell and Elena's story of why she is in Mystic Falls. I also want to thank **BadBoysAreBest **for her amazing idea of Damon in the future being able to talk to Elena in the past. Oh, and I just realized this after I read it again after I posted it... having to do with Stefan being in the tomb. Please just use your wonderful imaginations and say that when Bonnie was helping Elena with the spell, that's when Stefan jumped into the tomb... k? Thanks... haha

**Remember, reviews are love, people!**


	4. Of Preparations and Anticipation

Elena stared into space. This was all just too insane. Wrapping her arms around herself, she suddenly felt sick to her stomach. Her jaw was clenched shut, her teeth beginning to hurt from the hard pressure. Tremors ran through her body and her heart became heavy, as if slugging against her lungs, making it torturous to breathe. Closing her eyes in some feeble hope for relief, she could feel a stream of hot tears run down the side of her cheek. Elena Gilbert was having a meltdown. Throughout her life, she'd always prided herself in her ability to keep composure in the most stressful or heartbreaking of situations. She'd done it when she had Blue Books and SAT's in junior year; she'd done it with her parents' death. She was fucking doing it with the Originals. But now, all those pent up emotions exploded out of her, accompanied by a whole new set of problems. The tears came faster now, splattering her face with her salty pain. Elena crumpled into the bed, arranging herself into a ball. She put her hand over her mouth to muffle her sobs, and scrunched her face tightly, while clenching her jaw even tighter. A throbbing headache began to overtake her. Elena's thoughts became sporadic; all she could focus on was the pain. She began to drown herself in her own self pity, suffocating all thoughts of staying strong.

_Elena, shh, no crying. It's not _that _bad talking to me is it?_ If they had been in the same room, Elena would've seen the smirk dance across Damon's face.

She undid her tight little ball, and sat up in bed when she heard Damon's voice in her head. She loved the velvety seductiveness of it. When he spoke, it was as if there was music playing; his voice was melodic. And when he whispered- that's what made Elena weak in the knees. When the beautiful vampire whispered, it sounded like praying; his voice was holy. Well, unholy, because Damon's whole existence was to live in sin; and this tortured her so. The bad boy act fit him well; he embodied danger flawlessly. Damon Salvatore's voice was the most unholy of tortures to Elena, but she thrived off of it and loved it; she was addicted.

She began to wipe away the tears, when she replied, _Yes, Damon, it is. Your company makes me feel like drowning myself to the bottom of the ocean. _She let out a light laugh.

_Hah, you're hysterical, Elena. You should totally get your own show on Comedy Central. _He replied, the sarcasm so heavy it was almost tangible. _And I guess since I'm that much of a bother to you, you don't want to hear the information we found out about the spell…_

Elena's eyes opened wide. She couldn't let the connection break; she had to know what was happening.

_No, Damon, I do want to hear what you know! Please, tell me. S_he pleaded; _you know I didn't mean what I said. Just-just tell me what's happening. _

_Well, _he drawled, _turns out there's a time limit on the spell: two weeks. After that, you come back here to boring old reality. Oh, and Bonnie set up a spell so that when you leave, no one will remember you were there. But Elena, I know the temptation is high, and with you, kind of inevitable, but don't do anything stupid, alright? _

_Fine, I promise I won't. And hey, it's not inevitable! _She shot back quickly. _But one question- where's Stefan in all of this? Why isn't he helping me? _

That hit Damon hard. Still, even after all he's done for her; she still wants his little brooding brother. Damon tried to extinguish this angry fire with a deep breath.

_Stefan, _Damon continued, _is unavailable at the moment. Can I take a message? _

_Damon, _Elena said frustrated, _where. Is. Stefan?_

_He- _Damon pondered the idea of making up a lie. It's not like Elena would know the difference anyways, but his lips babbled before he could think up a story. _He's in the tomb with Katherine. _

Elena paused for a moment. Stefan. In the tomb with Katherine. What the hell? _What? _She asked in utter confusion.

_Yup, little Stefy Boy is with Katherine. Last night Jeremy decided to be brave and get the Stone from her. Well, as with most plans concerning Jeremy, it backfired. Katherine intended to keep him as her prisoner. That's where we cue Saint Stefan to enter stage right. Stefan being well, Stefan, lunged into the tomb, throwing out both the Moon Stone and Jeremy. And now little Stefy has gotten himself a little stuck._

Elena's stomach dropped at this. Stefan was in the tomb with Katherine. Elena should trust him; trust him not to fall for her again, but that was like pouring raindrops back into a cloud- impossible. Katherine was like human blood to Stefan. He couldn't resist. He could try with all his willpower not to let the bloodlust, or Katherinelust, overtake him, but it was always a torturous task for him. He could try to lull his addiction with animal blood, or with Katherine, _me, _Elena thought. The second those two ungodly letters combined to make that now god-awful word, a new set of tears threatened to break loose.

_Oh, _was the only reply Elena could muster. Unknown to her, Damon could read every thought she had. A hybrid between a smirk and a genuine smile grew on his face. She was having doubts about Stefan's loyalty. _Brilliant, _he thought. Though he couldn't shake the sympathy and guilt he had for the girl. She was suffering- so much. She was a walking talking tragedy; and here Damon was, having a field day over her worries about Stefan.

There was a pause in the mental conversation. _Hey, um, Damon?_ Elena finally spoke.

_Yes? _He drawled in return, elongating the 'S' until it became a hissing noise.

_Can- can I trust him?_

_Trust who? _Damon replied, though he knew exactly who she was talking about.

_Stefan. Can I trust him?_

_Hm. Why does this feel like déjà vu? Does a certain kitchen conversation ring a bell? _

_Damon, don't dance around the subject. Just tell me the truth. _He could hear the desperation in her voice.

_Look, _he suddenly became serious, _I honestly don't know. You can trust him in the department of wanting to resist Katherine. But as it goes for actually succeeding? It seems to me, Elena; you've got a 50/50 shot. _

Elena let out a shaky breath, brushing her hands over her face. Her stress level right now was way past the point of healthy.

_Elena, _he said softly, _you know Stefan would never do anything to intentionally hurt you. He- he loves you._ He tried his hardest to not let the bitterness seep into his words.

Elena was shocked at the softness of his words. Never, in all the time she's known him, has Damon Salvatore actually let feelings totally take him over. She liked this side of him; it gave him another dimension- an element of gentleness. She wondered if human Damon was like this.

_Thank you, _she said gently. A soft smile began to make its way onto the girl's face.

Damon was unsure how to react to the situation. He was pleased that he helped Elena reach solid ground again, and no longer being on the verge of tears. But he couldn't shake the nagging feeling that he'd just screwed himself over. Saying kind things about Stefan- that never settled well with the vampire; and saying kind things about his brother in relation to Elena? That made him sick to the stomach. He wanted to support Elena with every reason why she should hate Stefan, and why he is, and always will be, the better choice. But those goddamned feelings of love and honesty kept getting in the way.

_Mm, _he said dismissing the gratitude, _but Elena, you'll be alright. _The seriousness of his voice shocked both Elena and Damon alike.

Steering away from an intimate conversation, Elena asked, _But Damon, how is it you're able to talk to me? I mean, we are like 145 years apart. _

_That's exactly why I can talk to you. Turns out your little vervain necklace has no effect on me, since we are so far apart. _

Elena had no idea what to think about that news. Should she be mad? Happy? She didn't have the slightest idea. But the "we are so far apart" section of Damon's explanation sent a chill down her spine. She really was alone in this. She didn't have the safety of the Salvatore brothers, or the comfort of being able to go home at the end of the day. She couldn't call Bonnie to vent about the stresses of the day. Elena Gilbert was all alone.

_Huh. Well, I guess that's a good thing, _Elena concluded, _because now you can help me through this. Oh, and Damon, please stay out of my head, unless I ask for help? _

Damon considered her request. He had VIP access to the one thing he'd been itching to figure out- Elena. But Elena was more than a research project. She was Elena Gilbert. The girl who infuriated him, intoxicated him, mesmerized him; cared about him.

_Promise, _he finally surrendered.

_Thank you, _she paused, _for everything. But I have one more favor to ask._

_My god, Elena, you're such high maintenance! You're just lucky I'm a barrel of favors today._

Elena rolled her eyes. She could always count on Damon to turn a serious conversation into witty banter. _Can you ask Bonnie to do a locator spell? It doesn't have to be tonight, but soon? Because I have no idea where I am. But I don't think Katherine's here yet; Jonathan would've mentioned something. _

_Wait- you're with the Gilberts? How the hell did you manage that? _He raised an eyebrow.

_Told him I was a long lost relative from Albany. Said I fell on hard times, and had nowhere else to go. _She intentionally left out the part about her parents dying. Telling it once was enough. She didn't trust herself with keeping composure this time. 

_Huh. Nice work there, kid. And as for the spell-I'll mention it to Bonnie. I'm sure she'll jump right on it. 'Anything to save my BFF Elena!' _he imitated in a high pitched voice.

Again, Elena rolled her eyes. It had become a natural reflex to anything Damon said. _Ha, _she said flatly, but couldn't hide her smile, _and thanks. It would actually help to know where the hell I am. _

_Well, in fear of being too technical, you in fact do know where you are. It's the 'when' you don't know. _He couldn't help himself; he loved to get under Elena's skin; it brought out that fire he loved about her.

_Why do you insist on taunting me?_

_Because, Elena, I get immense pleasure from it. _

Elena couldn't help but think of the pervyness of that comment.

_Now, now, Elena, no need to think dirty. Can't say I'm complaining, though. _

_Damon! You're such a… such a…_

_Male? _He supplied raising a brow.

_Mm. Yeah, sure, let's go with that. _Elena was having a battle with keeping her eyes open.

_Well, as lovely as it is talking to you, I have a bar calling my name. _

_Goodnight, Damon. Thank you, again. _

_Goodnight. And hush! Stop saying 'thank you'! People might actually get the idea that I'm nice! _He smirked.

Elena let out a light laugh before laying her head back on the pillow, and instantly falling asleep.

_She was running; sprinting, really. The night air was brisk, and whipped at Elena's face with full force. The wind was humming in her ears, and her head was throbbing. But she wouldn't stop running. She lifted the material of her dress even higher up so her legs had more freedom to carry her farther. The fog of the night blinded Elena even more, with any hope of her knowing where she was going, shot. She bit her lip in determination, and kept trudging on. She could faintly hear the sounds of footsteps behind her. They had no intent of catching up to her. Whoever the footsteps belonged to seemed perfectly content with watching her suffer. Elena frantically turned around to try and get a look at her stalker, but tripped over a stub in the ground before she could. Massive doses of pain came from her ankle. Bolts of hurt shot up her leg, and tears were beginning to form in the corner of her eyes. Elena tried desperately to get up, but was only met with agony, so she crumpled back into the ground. The footsteps were getting closer, and Elena began to shake. She looked up frantically. To the right of her in the distance, she could make out the form of Damon. Relief flooded into her features, and she eagerly called for him._

"_Damon!" she yelled. He turned on his heel and stared at her. He showed no intention of moving toward her. "Damon!" the franticness refilled her body. He continued to look at her. His cobalt eyes seemed to look right through her. "Damon," she whispered, the tears finally breaking loose. Her head was hurting, her ankle, excruciating. A knot formed in her chest out of stress and hopelessness. The footsteps were now only yards away. Elena's determination had been extinguished. So, there she lay, waiting for her doom. She barely even flinched when she felt the hard grip of a hand on her shoulder. He pushed her head to the side, and tugged her sweaty hair away from her neck. Elena glanced up to see the man's fangs protrude and the veins under his eyes become prominent. With vampiric speed, he was upon her neck. His teeth pierced her neck like two needles. It stung agonizingly. Elena pinched her eyes shut at the pain. The vampire sucked harder on her neck, and Elena's body grew weak. Sights and sounds were distorted; she felt like she was falling asleep. Or was she dying? _

Elena shot up in bed with a sharp gasp. She was covered in a cold sweat, and her body was shaking. Her sporadic breathing slowly returned to normal, when all of her senses returned to reality. Elena hugged herself around her core and began to rock nervously back and forth. Looking out the window, she could see the sun just peaking over the horizon. She was still tired; exhausted. But she refused to return to slumber. She didn't think she could bare another nightmare. Her dress clung tightly to her wet skin. She was uncomfortable; cold and hot all at once. Elena was growing tired of always feeling some sort of pain or stress. Since she knew she wouldn't fall asleep again, she leaned over the bed to find Damon's journal lying on the floor. She guessed she had kicked it off the bed sometime during the night. She picked it up, and walked over to the window, where she could get the best light. Opening the fragile book, she flipped to a random page.

_20 April 1861_

_Virginia seceded from the Union three days ago. Word finally got to our sleepy plantation this morning. We have also gotten wind of a battle taking place on the twelfth of April. It is assumed that Fort Sumter surrendered to the South Carolinian troops. I am not too sure how I feel about this news. Stefan is more than pleased. He hates the Yanks the way I hate father. Stefan would love nothing more than to join the South in their crusade against the North. Father, however, will hear none of that nonsense, for Stefan is the golden child; he could not risk such a tragic loss. However, for me, Father is urging me to join. He claims it is because I am of age, at seventeen, but I know better. Father has always been filled with lies. He uses them so often, I am not even sure he knows what the truth really is. Father would love nothing more than to see me die in this war between the states, but I am not willing to comply with his wishes. I understand, dear friend that my proclamations may seem melodramatic, but it is the truth. Not only will I not go to war because of Father, I am not entirely sure where I stand on the matter at hand. Many of the slaves I have befriended over the years; why would I fight to keep them as servants? If anyone should find this journal, I have no doubt in my mind I'd be shot for my North-like opinions. I am proud to call myself a Virginian, but am ashamed of its morals. Whatever transpires in the future on this matter is sure to be grueling. I am not looking forward to being in the crossfire of it all. _

Elena once again was left staring at the page before her. Damon's words were haunting. She prayed to god she had landed before the War, but an instinct told her otherwise. She looked out the window to see the sun fully set in the sky. Morning was upon her. Elena wanted desperately to get out of her dress, but neither had clothes or the knowledge of how to even attempt to get out of it. It was like a maze; a very difficult puzzle she doubted even Stephen Hawking could figure out. So, there Elena sat, pondering what the hell she could do. She had no idea the proper etiquette of waking up in the morning.

_Screw it, _Elena thought and opened the door quietly and made her way to the stairs. Tiptoeing lightly down the staircase, she made a right into what she thought to be the parlor. She hesitantly looked into the room, leaning against the doorframe, to find Florence sitting on the couch. Florence could sense her presence and turned her attention from the door, and away from her book. She looked at Elena with a pleasant smile.

"Well, you can join me, if you like," she patted the seat next to her. Elena bowed her head in compliance and joined the woman on the sofa. Both women were quiet.

"Elena," Florence turned to look at her, "you have no other clothes with you, do you," it wasn't a question. She gave a sympathetic look.

"No, ma'am, I don't," she began to pick at the material of her dress.

"Sweetheart," she chuckled, "you do not have to call me ma'am. You are family. Please, call me Florence," she gave a warm smile that made her emerald eyes sparkle.

Elena could already tell she liked Florence Gilbert.

"Thank you, Florence, for accepting me into the family," Elena offered a shy smile.

"Honey, you are very welcome. Today," she said, smiling mischievously, "we are taking you to get a wardrobe,"

"Florence, you do not have to do that,"

"Sweets, you are now part of this family, and fashion is very important. In fact, we have a party tonight,"

"I am invited?"

Florence let out a light laugh. "The invitation did say 'Gilbert family'," she smiled brightly.

"Thank you. Florence, where is the gathering?"

"Honey, when you attend a Salvatore party, a gathering is the last word to describe it. The Salvatore family holds the grandest parties in town,"

_Salvatore, _she thought. _Stefan. Giuseppe. Damon…._ _Oh, god._ Elena didn't know if she was ready to face the Salvatore family quite yet, but she had no other choice.

In reply to Florence, she offered a laugh. It was the only response her tense body would allow.

Florence rose from the couch and walked out of the room.

"Inform Atticus I will be requiring the carriage this afternoon. I want it ready in twenty minutes," Elena could hear Florence say. Her voice was dry, but still held its gentleness. Elena still couldn't wrap her head around the idea that there were still slaves in this time period. To Elena, it seemed to only be a subject in a movie, or a discussion in history class; but never reality. But indeed, here she was, experiencing it firsthand.

Elena was disrupted from her musing when Florence appeared in the doorway. She informed Elena that they would leave in twenty minutes, and Elena gave a respectful nod. Her thoughts were other places, though. Her morning breath was awful; her teeth were covered in plaque; her face was oily and her hair was a mess- it was every teenager's nightmare.

Elena didn't even notice Florence return to the doorway until she heard her say,

"Elena, the carriage is ready," she turned to look at Florence and then rose from her place on the sofa, scurrying over to catch up with the elder Gilbert. The two women met the carriage at the entrance of the house. Florence stepped in gracefully with the help of whom Elena assumed to be the 'Atticus ' Florence was referring to earlier. Elena stepped tentatively onto the first step, trying to juggle both her heavy dress and her balance. Swaying backwards, two strong hands found their way to her back, holding her upright. Elena walked the two more little steps and sat down opposite Florence before she turned to her savoir with a warm smile. He bowed back to her before turning his attention to the coachman. He gave him a nod, and with that, the two Gilbert women were off.

The carriage ride was bumpy, causing Elena's very empty and very hungry stomach to flip. She crossed her arms around her core, and tried to muffle her growling stomach. Florence, being the very observant person she is, noticed this instantly.

"My thought was we could buy food at the market. The fruits are delectable this time of year," she gave a warm smile, with a gentle touch of guilt for not offering anything to the girl before they left.

"That sounds like a fine idea," Elena replied. Turning her attention out the small window of the carriage, she was amazed at all the open space. There was green everywhere; it was like an ocean. Trees were abundant, and in every which direction. The scenery was breathtaking. A minute or so later, the nature was replaced by a small town center. The area was congested and bustling. The carriage pulled in the entrance and stopped to let out the women. The sun was hot, causing Elena's already sticky body to become soaked. The dust from the dirt road stuck to her calves. Florence put a hand on the now miserable girl's shoulder, and said 'come'. Florence walked dignified and strong, her head held high. She looked like a deity and Elena couldn't help but gain new respect for her. She passed the beggars on the street without a second glance; she walked by the children, barely meeting their smiles with a nod. Florence was like a freight train advancing at full speed; she was unstoppable. Elena followed close behind, paranoid at losing Florence in the crowed. Abruptly, Florence stopped at the entrance to a small boutique. '_Mary's Designs',_ the sign said read.

Florence strode into the store, stopping at the counter. A woman stood behind the desk. Her hair was ebony and her skin ivory. The woman's green eyes clashed against the blackness of her hair- the woman was breathtaking.

"Mary," Florence smiled.

"My, my Florence! To what do I owe the pleasure?" Mary's voice was dripping with a deep Southern drawl.

"A relative of mine, Elena, is in town," she pointed to Elena. The teenager took this as her cue to step forward. Mary looked at the girl like she was inspecting her. Elena began to tug at her hair to keep it from sticking out in all directions.

Finally, the beauty spoke, "She is simply beautiful, Florence. What can I do for ya'll today?" she displayed a perfect smile.

"We require dresses," she gave a mischievous smile, "many dresses, Mary,"

A look of joy spread across Mary's face like a small child's at Christmas. She glided from behind the desk, revealing an elegant black dress draped over her perfect curves. She clasped her hands together in excitement.

"Oh, Elena, I have the perfect color scheme for you," her eyes glistened with enthusiasm. She disappeared behind a curtain in the back of the room.

"Mary is the most talented dressmaker in the town. She can fit a color and design to you as easy as it is to breathe," she heard Florence say from behind her. Elena turned to face her.

"Thank you, Florence, for everything," contentment filled the girl's eyes. That same moment, Mary reappeared, holding pieces of fabric.

"Honey, these colors would be simply breathtaking on you," she held the colors out for Elena to see. Lilacs and pastel greens, pinks, and blues met her eyes. A smile grew like wildfire on Elena's face.

"Oh, Mary! They are perfect," she looked back down at the fabric in awe.

"How soon can you have the dresses made, Mary?" Florence inquired.

"That's a mighty fine question. Lucky for ya'll, I just finished a whole line of dresses with this scheme. If ya'll would like to see?" she led the Gilberts behind the curtain she had disappeared behind earlier. At least a dozen dresses lay on a huge table. Pinks, greens, blues, and lilacs seemed to stare back at Elena calling 'take us home with you'.

"They're perfect," Elena whispered. A smile grew on Mary's face. Florence could see the look of approval in Elena's gaze and said,

"We will take them all," Elena turned to look at Florence.

"All of them? Florence, I don-"

"Hush, child! Consider them a 'welcome' gift,"

Mary had already begun to pack the dresses neatly in boxes, before handing them to the Gilberts.

"Ya'll have a good day, now!" she called as the two women left. They returned the gesture with smiles. Florence and Elena walked the short distance back to the carriage, handing the boxes to the coachman. Inside the carriage, an apple and peach waited for the women. Elena stared at the peach like it was gold. Her mouth watered in anticipation.

"Well, come in, Elena," Florence chuckled from inside the carriage. Elena complied, and stepped in. Once seated, she took the peach in her hands, and bit into the fine fruit. When the flavor touched her tongue, she could almost hear the choirs singing. Elena relished in the satisfaction of getting food in her stomach. Florence stared at the girl with amusement, while slowly nibbling at her apple.

They returned to the Gilbert plantation several minutes later. By this time, the sun was beginning to set. Florence strode through the door, followed by Elena, and finally the coachman, who was carrying the several boxes of dresses.

"Place them in her room," she said to the coachman.

"Yes, ma'am," came the reply, and he headed up the stairs.

"Sweetheart, I think you will be requiring a bath before the party tonight," it wasn't a suggestion, and Elena couldn't disagree.

"I should think," Elena replied with a smile.

"There is a small lake half a mile down the property. I suggest you go soon though, dear, the night is quickly coming upon us,"

Elena gave a nod.

"A bar of soap and a towel are already out there," she began to walk up the stairs, and beckoned Elena to follow, "I will supply you with a nightgown to wear back up to the house," she walked into what Elena assumed to be her bedroom. Elena stayed put outside of the room. Florence reemerged with a white gown in her hand, and handed it to Elena. The teenager smiled and made her way down the stairs, and out the door. When Elena managed to find the lake, she was met by the same girl who had opened the door the night before. The girl gave a respectful smile to Elena.

"What's your name?" Elena asked. The girl seemed shocked at Elena's question.

"Lavi, ma'am," the girl said quietly.

"Pleasure," Elena smiled. At this, Lavi stepped behind her and began to strip her. Elena's initial reaction was to step away, but she knew she had no hope of getting the dress off herself, so she stood there awkwardly. Finally, Lavi reached the corset. She untied the strings, and let it fall to the ground. Elena let out a much needed breath. When Elena was fully stripped, she couldn't get into the water fast enough. The cool water felt like heaven on her skin. She closed her eyes in content.

Elena dried herself, and slid the gown over her head. The clothes that had been scattered on the ground, her now gone, and she silently thanked Lavi. Elena scurried back up to the house. She entered her room, and was once more met with Lavi. Lavi gave a soft bow and picked the new corset of the bed. Elena's heart fell at this, but she didn't retaliate. Once all the undergarments were on, Lavi opened the box that held a new dress. She pulled out a lilac gown, and Elena was more than pleased with the choice.

When Elena was fully clothed, the night was fully upon them. Elena was met at the door by Florence and Jonathan. They made their way to the carriage. Elena's heart began to race. Tonight, she was going to officially meet the Salvatores.

Okay, so that's chapter four. I know, I didn't introduce the Salvatores yet. Please don't hate me! I wanted to take my time with that chapter, and make it its own. Next chapter, I promise will include human Damon. Please review anyways? Lol

**Remember, reviews are love, people!**


	5. Of Gone With the Wind and Encounters

Elena couldn't breathe. Her hands were clammy; her mind was whirling, and her muscles were tense. The carriage was nearing the Salvatore plantation. Torches lined the gravel pathway, which was covered with the towering Cypress and low hanging Spanish moss, much like the Gilbert plantation had been. The mansion down yonder was grand. Six strong columns stood on the face of the house, with three evenly spaced out windows protruding from the ebony roof. Laughter became audible as the carriage made its way down the pathway. Elena began to fidget with her dress, smoothing the material only to crinkle it up seconds later.

**2010**

"Good evening," Damon taunted as Bonnie opened her front door. Bonnie's heart dropped at the sight of the man standing before her; she was in no mood for Damon's antics.

"What do you want," Bonnie replied flatly.

"What, no hug?" a smirk grew wide on the vampire's face.

"Damon. I don't want to play games with you,"

"Aw, but I'm such a fun playmate," he winked.

"Not what I meant," Bonnie deadpanned. "What do you want," she crossed her arms, still not allowing him to enter.

"Elena asked me to ask you if you could perform a locator spell. Apparently knowing what year you're in is helpful or something," his sarcasm was almost tangible. Bonnie paused at this.

"You- you talked to Elena?" the shock was balanced evenly between both her face and tone. She moved from the doorway, allowing Damon to enter.

"Yeah, I did. Turns out her vervain necklace doesn't affect me when we're centuries apart," Damon shrugged his shoulders.  
"But," Bonnie knitted her brow together, "that still doesn't make sense! Vampire telepathy isn't supposed to be _that _strong."

"So, what? I'm just epically awesome?" he smirked. Bonnie didn't reply. Her mind was whirling. Damon and Elena could communicate. That wasn't supposed to be possible. Bonnie mentally sifted through all the information her grandmother had taught her. Suddenly, her eyes shot open, giving a look at Damon.

"What is it, Sabrina?" the vampire taunted.

Choosing to ignore the insult, she began, "Damon, what you speak of isn't possible," Damon gave her a blank look as if to say 'no shit, Sherlock'. Bonnie continued, "But there's an exception. I remember my grandmother trying to teach me something about how when two people's destinies are intertwined, their connection is very strong," Damon gave another blank look, so Bonnie added, "by connection, I mean just that. Everything is amplified. Feelings towards each other, sparks between them. And, in this case, your telepathy with her."

Damon stared at her. Their destinies were intertwined. What the hell did that mean?

"So, if I understand correctly," he paused. "No, I take that back. Destinies? What the hell are you talking about?" he crossed his arms over his chest. Damon Salvatore _hated _not understanding things. That meant having to actually subject himself to listening to someone clarifying it for him. Damon did not like the idea of subjecting to Bonnie Bennett.

"Yeah, destinies. My grandmother had told me that some parts of the future are fixed,"

"Oh, god, please don't tell me you're going to start saying 'It's written in the stars, Damon, it's written in the stars!'"

"Damon," she deadpanned, "you're the one who asked. In a way, yes, it is written in the stars. But what bothers me, is how your destinies are entwined," Bonnie looked intently at the ground.

"Look, Sabrina, I don't know what to tell you about the whole destiny mumbo-jumbo. And frankly, I don't really give a damn. I'm here for one reason and one reason only. Elena asked for a locator spell."

Bonnie glared at him. She knew deep down, the new information was eating away at him. She dismissed the thought. "Fine. I'll do the spell. But we need something of Elena's," she looked at Damon.

"Does it look like I carry around Elena's possessions?" he teased.

Bonnie tried her best to stifle the 'yes' the was on her lips. She turned to the coffee table in the living room and went for her keys. Damon was by her side in a flash.

"I'll get something from her house." Bonnie didn't look pleased with Damon's suggestion, so he continued, "you know it'll be faster if I go." He looked intently at her, his cobalt eyes, burning into her.

"Fine, go. But Damon," she warned, "be fast. In and out."

"Yes, mother," he drawled, already halfway out the door. He picked up speed and flashed to the Gilbert house. He jumped to Elena's window, and pushed it open. Damon let out a silent thank you that Elena had left it open. Standing in her room, he rubbed his hands together. _Jackpot_, he thought. He began to waltz around the room, scanning the many dressers. Damon's eyes landed on the nightstand beside her bed. Casually walking over, he slowly opened the drawer, revealing a notebook. Damon smirked, and picked up the small book. Plopping onto the bed, he flipped to the most recent date.

_December 8, 2010_

_I found Damon's journal today. After reading an entry about the ten year aftermath of his mom dying, I felt so much empathy for him. I had no idea how alike we were! It broke my heart to read about him suffering so much, and his father only making it worse. He seemed to really love his mother- and her death, left an empty space in his life. I'm no stranger to this effect. I wonder if that's part of the reason Damon is the way he is. Damon Salvatore is the most infuriating, mysterious, dark, exhilarating person I know. But I have a new word for the list- fragile. Through the pages of his journal, I have seen his humanity, and I pray to god that's still in him somewhere. Well, I know it's there; I've seen it. Damon has many layers to him, and he never reveals too much to anyone- not even Stefan. Maybe not even fully to himself. He's a tortured soul- and today, I've learned just how drastically. I've always felt there was more to Damon's misery than just Katherine and 1864, but I could never quite put my finger on it. I see now, that I'd known it all along; if only I had paid close attention. It angers me, even, that I didn't take much notice to Damon until recently. He's always been my boyfriend's brother- the nuisance who just didn't know when to stay away. But now? Now, he's the mysterious man who can be passionate, kind, caring, courageous, intoxicating- a dark knight. Sure, Stefan is the knight in shining armor, but what's new with that? They save the damsel in distress. One problem, I'm not in distress. Damon, though, as the dark knight, is the savior who does the little things, which add up to be way more than just saving the damsel. I thank him for that. I just wish I could actually tell him that. I've tried, but every time I look into his blue eyes, I lose my courage. Plus, Stefan would have a mental breakdown if he ever found out I enjoyed and was even grateful for Damon's presence. I guess that's one more feeling I'll have to keep pent up inside. Speaking of untold emotions, my feelings towards Stefan are rapidly changing. I used to find him so protective and devoted, but now it's turned to suffocation and obsession. Oh, god, I'm so confused! So much has happened, and way too quickly, for any of it to fully sink in. I now know how Bella feels- Romeo or Paris? And to be honest, I'm not even sure which Salvatore brother is Romeo…. _

Damon stared at the page. His face was expressionless, but inside, his emotions were on haywire. She had been able to dissect him so well, it was almost like she'd known him all his life. His heart was also warmed at the time and energy she put into writing this entry- an entry about him, nonetheless. At the thought of being cared for that much by Elena made his heart grow four times larger. _Oh god, I'm becoming the Grinch,_ he thought. But was that bad? Elena was Damon's Cindy Lou Who- a girl who had the power to turn the man of ice into the man of spring. Damon let a genuine smile pass over his features, and his cobalt eyes were sparkling.

Suddenly remembering Bonnie would soon be suspicious of what was taking him so long, he shoved the small book into his jacket pocket and took a shirt off the dresser. Seconds later, he was standing outside Bonnie's door. When the door opened, Damon waved the material in front of Bonnie. She snatched it from his hands, and walked into the living room. Damon sauntered after her, leaning against the wall once he'd reached the parlor.

Bonnie had candles lit, and the lights off in the room. The Grimoire lay open on the coffee table and Bonnie stood in front of it. Closing her eyes slowly, and holding Elena's white shirt, she began to chant in Latin. The wind picked up slightly making the candles flicker. Bonnie's ebony hair began blowing lightly, and Damon's bangs were being tussled by the newfound gust of air. Bonnie's eyes opened once more, and she turned to Damon.

"April 21, 1861. That's where Elena is."

Damon paused at this. He recalled the tension that was in the Salvatore mansion at this point- the turmoil within his seventeen year old self, and the patriotism radiating off Stefan. God help Elena.

Damon nodded at Bonnie. "Uh, well, thanks, Sabrina," it was difficult for the vampire to let those six words exit his mouth- especially to Bonnie, but there they were, hanging in the air. Bonnie acknowledged Damon's gratitude with a light smile and slight nod. Damon gave one last uneasy smile before walking out the door.

**1861**

Elena felt a presence in her head.

_Damon, what did I say about not going in my head unless I asked you to?_

_Oh, Scarlet, _he taunted, _I was simply going to give you an update. Bonnie did the spell. _He didn't mention the destiny theory, because even he couldn't believe it.

_Oh, then, Rhet, do tell. _

Damon smirked at this. _Ah, so, I get to be Rhet, huh? Damon likes. _

Elena suppressed her eye rolling, in fear of looking insane to Florence and Jonathan. _Well, I-…I _she couldn't admit that she wouldn't mind Damon being her Rhet.

_It could be our codenames! And this whole time travel thing is a spy mission! _

Elena didn't even want to reply to Damon's insane comment.

_Oh, _he continued, _I know you would really love me to be your Rhet. I am your dark knight after all, right? _He smirked.

_Wha- how- how did you know that? _She asked tentatively.

_An eye for an eye, right, Scarlet? _

_Damon! You have my diary? How could you! _

_Oh, no! You used my name… know I know I'm in trouble, _he taunted. _And hey, don't act all innocent, I could ask you the same thing. _

Elena couldn't deny that. _Touché, _she muttered.

_Ah, I do love when you give into me. _He could sense her anticipation for the update. _Oh, and as for the spell, Bonnie says it's April 21, 1861. Now maybe that'll stop your complaining for about twenty minutes. _

_Hey! I'm not that whiney! _

_Please, all you need is cheese, and you'll be the perfect midnight snack. _Neither Damon nor Elena mentioned the irony of that comment.

Elena looked out the window to see they were almost stopped at the entrance to the mansion. She was about to bid goodbye to Damon, but she no longer felt his presence in her mind. Little did she know, Damon was still there.

The carriage stopped finally, and the coachman went to the door, to help the ladies down. Florence held out her delicate hand, and the coachman took it, helping her down the little stairs. Elena mocked Florence's movements, but tentatively. She hated having to subject the poor man to being her servant. Once all three Gilberts were out of the carriage, they made their way to the massive mahogany doors. As the doors were opened, the Gilberts were greeted by an array of people dancing in a rainbow of lavish dresses and suits. Elena looked around, unsure of what to do. Jonathan made a beeline for a cluster of men in the far left corner. Elena looked at Florence silently asking if they should follow. She was answered by a slight nod. The two women followed John and came to a halt when he reached the men.

"Ah, the Gilbert siblings," one of the men smiled. He looked to be about thirty, with dirty blonde hair and emerald eyes. "How have you been, John? Florence," he gave a bow. He gave a look towards Elena that Florence picked up on.

"William, this is Elena. She is a relative from New York. She will be staying with us for a while."

William gave a polite nod, but the disgust was swirling in his eyes. "New York. How interesting. I've never been aquatinted with a," he paused, "Northerner."

Elena gave a tight smile, trying her very best not to explode at his rudeness.

"Well," Florence cut in, "I have." She gave a soft look at Elena. "Elena is a sweetheart, Will, let us not ruin the gay evening with politics." William gave a light bow of compliance.

"Excuse me," Elena said as she parted from the group. Who could blame her? She began to roam timidly around the grand ballroom. Looking down at her feet, she felt her body make contact with another. She seemed to be doing that very often lately. Her head shot up in shock.

"Oh, sir, please, forgive me! I did not notice you!" Elena pleaded, looking up to look at her victim. She was met with steel blue eyes. A smirk displayed on his lips and amusement swam in his eyes.

"It is not a problem. Though, I never knew the floor was that enthralling," he gave a smile. Yes, this was definitely Damon Salvatore. Elena let out a light laugh. "I am Damon Salvatore, by the way," he held out his hand.

Elena took hold of it. "I'm Elena," she gave a shy smile.

"Well, Elena, where is a pretty girl like you from?" Elena stared at him. "I do not mean to be rude, I just know everyone in this town. I have never seen you before," Damon cocked his head slightly to the side, his soft ebony curls falling over his brow. Elena stared at him in awe. His cobalt eyes seemed even more intense and intoxicating. His jet black hair shined, and his light curls were flawless. Damon's skin was sun kissed perfectly- he was your ideal Italian male. He was perfect. He didn't need the vampire powers to make him alluring, Elena now realized. Damon was a god all on his own. Listening to Elena's thoughts, Damon rolled his eyes in both amusement and agitation.

"Albany," she finally answered, "New York."

"Well, Ms. Elena of New York, do you have a last name?" he smiled.

"Gilbert," she said sheepishly.

"You are a relative of Jonathan, no?"

"Yes, I am," Elena placed her hand over her opposite elbow.

Noticing they were still stagnant in the middle of the dance floor, Damon said, "I will show you around," he extended his arm to her and she interlocked their arms. Elena couldn't help but smile at how well they fit together.

"What brings you to the _bustling _town of Mystic Falls, if I may inquire." Elena noted his very proper manners. She quite liked them.

"Last year my parents passed away. I was left alone, with not much money to keep me stable. Being only sixteen at the time, I had no inkling of how to sustain, so ultimately, I failed. The only relatives I remember my parents talking about was Jonathan Gilbert in Mystic Falls, Virginia, so I came here."

Damon looked over at Elena with knowing eyes. "I am truly sorry for your loss, Elena. I know the pain," he gave a sad smile. Elena didn't want to ask about this, for she knew it was a delicate topic.

"Thank you," was the best she could come up with. Damon gave a nod.

"Would you care to go outside, Ms. Gilbert? It is a very beautiful night out. Perfect for escorting beautiful women, such as yourself," he smiled at her. Again, vampire Damon had to roll his eyes at his younger self's horrid pickup lines. He couldn't complain, though. Elena was eating up every second on it.

Elena let out a chuckle and made her way to the door. Damon trotted up next to her. He nodded his head to the two doormen to open the doors. Damon and Elena were met with the soft breeze and the sweet smell of the south. Making their way into the dark night, Damon allowed Elena to lead the way. Her eyes were focused on the cluster of trees farther down the large property. Elena couldn't help but grin the whole time. This Damon was perfect. He still embodied the snarky bad boy that Elena loved, yet he also possessed a soft side- he was delicate. Finally reaching the Rosemary Pines, Elena began to pick up her dress to sit down.

"I have a rebel in my midst, I see. How unlady-like of you," he gave an amused smirk.

"It's quite comfortable down here, Mr. Salvatore," she looked up at him from her place on the ground. "Care to join? Or, are you too much of a gentleman for such childish actions," she returned his smirk. Raising an eyebrow, Damon gently sat next to the girl. Their shoulders were touching, and Elena's senses were tingling. Jolts of pleasure and joy shot through her body. She decided she may actually die if she lost physical contact with him. It took all her strength not to rest her head on his shoulder as she looked up to the moon.

"It's beautiful," she whispered, turning to meet gazes with the Salvatore. His cobalt eyes shined in the bright light of the moon. He really was striking.

"What is?' he questioned nonchalantly.

"The moon," she motioned with her head it its direction.

"Mm," he cooed as he laid his head on the trunk of the tree. "Elena?" he asked.

"Yes?" she turned to look at him, their knees now touching also. She relished in the feeling of his body so close to hers.

"This may sound utterly insane, but it feels as if I already know you. I am usually not so compatible with people," he rolled his head to look at her, still leaning it on the tree trunk.

_You have no idea, _Elena thought. Vampire Damon couldn't help but chuckle at this. He began to feel his heart grow another size bigger.

"I feel the same about you, Damon," she gave an angelic smile. One filled with sincerity and passion. Human Damon countered with a satisfied smile. It was the first time he can remember in years that he had smiled so much in one night- he loved it. He leaned in closer, so there was barely a centimeter between them. Elena closed her eyes, completely content with her current position. Her head lightly brushed his shoulder, and both of them shivered at the contact.

"Can I keep you?" Damon whispered. His seductive tone sent shocks of pleasure down Elena's spine. How is it that four simple words, when put together, can make a girl's life seem complete? When Elena didn't answer, Damon added, "It is just that you are so unlike the rest of the girls in this town. I do not want to lose that. I want to get to know you, Elena. If that is satisfactory?" Elena loved to see Damon get so flustered and nervous over what he said.

"Damon, of course it is. I would thoroughly enjoy getting to know you better as well," she lifted her chocolate eyes to his blue. Elena saw the genuine smile on Damon's face, and Elena almost died at the sight. This boy was too much. Every move he made was magic, and was caught under his spell.

**2010**

Damon paced around his room. Elena was falling for him. She was fucking falling for his seventeen human self. Damon was fuming.

Wait.

Damon Salvatore was jealous- of himself. Holy hell, this situation is screwed up. Both his and Elena's feelings felt amplified. The only word Damon could think of was:

_Destiny. _

~Alright, so that is chapter five. I apologize if the human Damon and Elena scene wasn't spectacular. I have been very busy, and barely had time to write. Please forgive me! But, I do promise, the 1861 Delena scenes will get much better. This is my first time writing these two like this, so please give me some leeway on this! Again, thank you to all who review! It really is helpful and uplifting to me.

**Remember, reviews are love, people! ;)**


	6. Of Drinking and Dancing

Damon and Elena stared at each other. Both enthralled. Both mesmerized. Elena still couldn't believe how easily she was falling for the elder Salvatore. Sure, her feelings for vampire Damon had been growing, but there was something about human Damon that sent her over the edge, and drowning in the sea of adore.

"Well," Elena finally spoke, "what are your views on the attack on Fort Sumter?"

Damon's eyes flickered and a tone of darkness passed over them. "Views, opinions, beliefs. They are the reason we have this tension between the South and North. So, you inquire about my views? To be forthright, I am not sure where I stand. If you were to ask my father or brother, they would not even hesitate: 'kill them Yanks, and preserve the culture of the great South,'" Damon's face crinkled in disgust.

"But you don't see it that way, do you?" her voice was barely a whisper. She looked up to meet his cobalt eyes, which were churning with turmoil.

"I wish it was as simple as that," he shook his head sadly, "but of course, there are too many factors involved in the issue to make it so. You must understand, Elena that I am far from approval on the subject of slavery. The matter at hand is loyalty, and which loyalty to side with: loyalty to my state and to my family, or loyalty to my own beliefs. Have you ever felt completely torn? As if you were on the verge of exploding because of it?" Damon blankly stared at the ground. There was so much emotion in his eyes. Elena was caught off guard at how frank he was with her.

"Yes, I know the feeling well," she gave a soft smile. Damon didn't even know just how true her statement was. Damon or Stefan, Stefan or Damon? Yes, Elena Gilbert knew the feeling of being utterly torn.

If Damon had planned on asking her about her experiences, he made no indication of it. "I suppose we all have in one way or another. Enough of this weightiness, now," he gave a smile. Always leave it to Damon to shy away from intense conversations.

"Very well, then, Mr. Salvatore. What did you have in mind?"

"Well, Ms. Gilbert, how about a dance?" he raised an eyebrow, giving her a sideways glance.

Elena let out a laugh. "There is no music."

"Who said music was a necessity when it comes to dancing?" Damon stood up, and faced Elena. "Come, one dance," he extended his hand to Elena. Taking his hand, a smile grew on both their lips. He pulled Elena up to her feet, and held her a comfortable distance away. Damon placed a hand midway down her back, and Elena shivered at the contact. Damon began to sway side to side, and Elena flowed with him. Their fingers intertwined, and Elena began to place her head on his chest. Damon had obviously never danced like this, because she felt him stiffen at her movement. She gave a soft smile, but never moved. Soon, Damon gave into the closeness and placed his chin lightly on the top of her head. There was no distance between the two now. Elena could feel Damon's heartbeat on her cheek. She loved the feeling. He was alive; he was the Damon Salvatore before Katherine or the centuries of pain. At this idea, Elena fell into his embrace even more and Damon tightened his hold on her in response.

**2010**

Damon raked both hands through his hair, and scrunched his brow together. This fucking sucked. Watching Elena dance the night away with his stupid seventeen year old self. He could easily just get out of her head, but the temptation to continue watching was too high. He could feel Elena's pleasure, and how the sheer presence of his teenage self was enough to last the girl for a lifetime. How is it that not even two hours with the boy, she was already falling? With him, it had taken him fucking months to just get her to see him as anything but Stefan's older brother. Anger built inside him like a wildfire. This was too insane. He hated himself. How fucking crazy was that?

He decided the situation called for drinking- masses and masses of alcohol. Damon wasn't aiming for a buzz, like he always did; he wanted to be full out trashed; numb; high; nonchalant. He trudged into the parlor, and pulled out his bourbon. Not even going for a glass, he put the bottle to his lips and chugged. The substance burned going down his throat, but he could care less. Sooner than expected, the bottle was finished. He began to raid his whole stash of booze. No longer craving just bourbon, he brought out the whiskey, vodka, tequila; the whole nine yards. Using the empty bourbon bottle, he poured everything he had into it. The bourbon, whiskey, vodka, and tequila all mixed in the container. Damon smiled. This was sure to bring him much closer to drunk than simply bourbon would. He sauntered over to the chair by the fire and sat. Putting the bottle to his lips, he whispered, "bottoms up," and shot back the alcohol. It was like fire, as the mixture ran down his throat, but he didn't take the bottle from his lips until he had drained the whole thing.

After he had drained his entire on hand supply of alcohol, he whipped the bottle at the fireplace. It hit the wall with a clang, and shattered on impact. He still wasn't drunk enough. Sure, his body was tipsy and had major issues keeping upright, but his mind was perfectly fucking sober. All the alcohol had done was simply enhance the jealousy and pain of Elena and his teenage self. Damon began to pace across the room. He was anxious and fidgety. His eyes made contact with a drawer in the corner of the room. He flashed over to it, and whipped it open fiercely. Damon scanned the items in it, until he made contact with what he'd been searching for. Reaching into the drawer, he pulled out a pack of Marlboro cigarettes. Now, Damon wasn't one to smoke. He hadn't considered himself one since the 1960s. But here he was, prepared to finish the whole pack. He dug some more in the mahogany drawer until he found a lighter. Placing the cigarette in between his lips, he lit it. He inhaled the smoke and let it swirl in his mouth before he put the cigarette between his pointer and middle finger and exhaled deeply. Damon stared at the smoke swirling in the air, and breathed in the scent. Walking back over to his chair he plopped down in it defeated. Placing his elbow on the armrest, he leaned his head on the side of his hand, cigarette still in place in between his two fingers.

Damon stared into the fire, occasionally taking a drag of the cigarette. Damon Salvatore was miserable. He was brooding. _Fuck, guess we're more alike than either of us imagined, Stefy,_ he pondered as he continued to stare. He should be happy, shouldn't he? Elena was falling for him! But the problem was, the man she was falling for wasn't him anymore. That boy died the second his father shot him. Damon felt like hell. The alcohol had done nothing to lull his pain, and the cigarettes were no help either. The two substances simply gave Damon a momentary high; a short escape from reality. He sighed deeply, taking a drag, and continued to watch Elena.

**1861**

The bustling party had begun to fade. It was getting quiet. Damon and Elena knew that their night was almost up, but neither made any move to break their current position and bid farewell.

"Elena?" Damon whispered. Elena glanced up at him.

"Yes?"

"When will I see you again?"

Elena bit her lip at this, trying to stop the blush that was creeping across her cheeks. "Who said I want to see you again," she teased, "maybe you are not what I want."

Damon looked at her horrified. "I will be whatever you want me to be," he finally decided.

"You're sweet," she smiled.

"I could be that," he looked down at her.

She let out a soft chuckle. "Damon," she smiled, "I was teasing. Of course you will see me again," the blush fully took over her olive skin as she looked into his cobalt eyes for the umpteenth time that night, and as always, was completely lost in the intensity of his eyes.

"Elena Gilbert, never in my life, have I met a girl quite like you."

"And I, Damon Salvatore, have never met a boy quite like you," she smiled warmly.

"Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight! For I ne'er saw true beauty till this night."

"Shakespeare," she smiled.

"Mm," he cooed.

"Good Night, Good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow, that I shall say good night till it be morrow," Elena countered.

**2010**

"Ugh," Damon scoffed. Their interactions were sickening. Damon never recalled himself being so delicate with a girl. Sure, he'd give her a whirl; turn her on with his proper yet dirty words. Yet, here he was, totally falling for Elena- genuinely falling. Damon gave a low growl and got up from his chair. Alcohol hadn't worked, cigarettes hadn't gotten the job done; there were only two more things Damon could think of: killing spree, or annoy Stefan. Deciding on the latter, he grabbed his leather jacket off the table, and flashed to the tomb.

Stefan's head perked up when he heard the moving of the massive stone door. He walked up to it, waiting to see who was behind it. He prayed to god it was Elena, for she hadn't visited him in days. The stone was moved, revealing Damon. Stefan's heart sank at this. He took in a deep breath to sigh, and could smell the alcohol radiating off his brother.

"You've been drinking," he said flatly. Damon held up his index finger and thumb about an inch apart, indicating that yes, he'd had a glass or two. Stefan didn't know how extreme his brother's sarcasm was with that gesture. Stefan took another breath, and a new substance found its way to his nose. "And smoking," Stefan's face was laced with horror and shock.

Damon applauded nonchalantly. "Very good, Sherlock," he crossed his arms.

"Damon, what's gotten into you? Drinking? Nothing new with that, but smoking. You only do that when you're pissed or there's something wrong," he stared at his brother, until a thought came to mind. "Oh, my god. Elena. Where's Elena, Damon?"

Damon replied with a mischievous grin.

"Damon," Stefan warned.

"Relax, lover boy, she's safe."

"Where, Damon," Stefan bit out.

"1861," he said lightly, and began to pick at his nails.

Stefan let out a nervous laugh. "Ha, Damon, not funny. Where is she?"

Damon gave an exasperated look. "1861," he bit out.

"Wha- _what?_"

"How many times are you going to make me say it! Want me to spell it out? Elena- is- in- 1861. Did that make its way into your head?"

"How. Why?" he looked at his brother with pleading eyes, "Damon, what happened?"

Damon let out an annoyed sigh. "Your girlfriend decided she wanted to explore our past. She went to Bonnie, she performed some mumbo-jumbo, and _bam_," he clapped his hands together loudly; "Elena ended up in 1861."

Stefan stared at his brother. No emotion could find its way to his face. Elena. In 1861. _Shit. _

Both Damon and Stefan stiffened when they heard footsteps coming closer.

"Katherine," Damon bit out, face cold as stone.

"Hello, lover," her eyes sparkled with tease. "Allow me to be the first to applaud you, Damon. Letting Elena out of your sight. Such a marvelous idea," her sarcasm was tangible and a taunting smirk found its way onto the vampire's lips. "Now, tell me something. How long do you reckon, until Klaus finds out where dear Elena is?" she raised an eyebrow.

"He won't find out," came Damon's sharp voice.

"No?" she sighed. "And I thought you were smart Damon. You don't think Klaus is watching _every _move any of us make? How cute! Your naivety is tragic, though," the taunting smirk was again back. Damon wondered if Katherine was capable of any facial expression other than a smirk. He ventured to guess no, to that. Stefan had remained silent this whole time. Damon shot a look at his brother. The tone he was trying to convey, he wasn't too sure. Stefan seemed to take it as an urge to speak, so he did.

"Katherine," he said tentatively, "now's not the time to pick a fight," he gave a warning glance to Damon as well.

Damon chuckled at this. "Trying to tame the beast," he turned to Katherine, "And I'm the naïve one. Just take a look at the tragic pacifist next to you." At this, Stefan lunged at Damon, but was hit with the invisible barrier and fell backward.

Damon grinned letting out a snide laugh, "Now, Stefan, play nice," he scolded. "Didn't Father teach you to respect your elders? Oh, and Stefan, you may think being a fighter is bad. But you want to know one thing that's worse? Someone whose whole life is a contradiction."

"Aw, brotherly advice, how sweet. Too bad sweet isn't on my agenda. Look," Katherine deadpanned, "Klaus will find Elena. One way or another."

"Thank you Captain Obvious. Any other joyful news you'd like to share with the class?" Damon gave her a glare.

"More feisty than usual," Katherine licked her lips, "I like."

"Ask and you shall receive," Damon taunted.

"Too bad I don't follow the rules, huh? I take what I want, when I want it."

"Ah, Captain Obvious strikes again," Damon crossed his arms.

"Guys!" Stefan's voice bounced off the walls. "None of this is helping."

"Must you always be such a bore, Stefan?"

Stefan glared at his brother. "Damon," he said lightly, "we have to get Elena back."

"No, I was just planning on leaving her there. No shit, we have to get her back, Sherlock!" Damon paused a second. "Tiny problem, though. The time-span on the spell is two weeks. Bonnie says there's nothing we can do about it. So, lover boy, guess you'll just have to sweat it out," Damon reached for the stone again.

"Wait!" Stefan called.

"What," Damon bit out.

"Promise you'll keep her safe," he gave a pleading look.

"My god, Stefan! How many times must you ask me this! You are such a broken record! But yes, I'll be sure that nothing happens to Elena. Happy now Mr. Paranoid?" Stefan gave a light nod a mumbled a "yes". Damon began to push the stone back over the opening. When the boulder was fully in place, Stefan leaned his head on it.

"Seems to me, lover, that we'll be here a while. Why not make the best of it?" she gave Stefan a flirtatious look. Stefan looked at her flatly. "Come on," she pestered, "It's only you and me down here." She leaned in and whispered seductively, "It'll be our dirty little secret."

Stefan closed his eyes, fighting the urge to ravish her completely. Yes, Katherine had indeed ruined his and his brother's, life, but he still loved her. She was daring, and courageous. Witty and aggressive. They were polar opposites, but that's what made them fit so well together.

"Come on, Stefan, you can't deny me forever. And I know you don't want to." he couldn't argue with her on that.

"Katherine," he said lightly, taking her hands in his, "I can't. How do I know you're sincere? I trusted you once, and all that got me was eternal life and a brother who hates me," he shook his head at her, still ignoring his raging urge to kiss her.

"What if I said I was sorry for it? For everything? What if I told you I had remorse?"

"You can tell me anything, Katherine. I have no doubt in that. But words are just words. How do I know they're honest?"

Katherine tilted her head to the side. Stefan could see emotions flicker in and out of her eyes like electricity during a storm. She leaned in, and placed a gentile kiss on his lips. Stefan had no hope of staying strong. Giving in, he deepened the kiss. Licking her lip, he begged for entrance. She accepted, and their tongues intertwined. If this had been Elena, he would've taken this slow. But this wasn't Elena- this was Katherine. Allowing centuries of longing to guide his actions, he pushed Katherine against the wall, deepening the kiss even more. Katherine began to tug at his shirt, pulling it fiercely over his head, and discarding it to the ground…

**1861**

"Damon," Elena whispered, "I have to go."

"The night is still young," he countered.

"That it may be, but I am sure Jonathan's patience is wearing thin."

"Just a little longer, Elena," he gave her a pleading look.

Elena was about to answer when they heard a voice boom, "Damon!" the man's voice cut like a knife. He said Damon's name like it was a sin- an unspeakable sin. Elena looked at Damon to see his once sparkling blue eyes almost black. She could see the utter hatred in them. Damon let out a soft growl and detached himself from Elena.

"You are right, the night is over," he said stonily.

Elena gave a sigh, and knew not to question. Sure, she had read about Damon's hatred for his father, but seeing the look on his face, and how easily his mood had transformed, made it all so much more real. She followed Damon back to the house, and was met with a man at the door.

His arms were crossed, his head held high. A stony glare was plastered on his face and he looked at his son.

"Get inside," he said monotonously. When Damon didn't budge, he yelled, "_Now._" Finally giving in, Damon went into the house, turning to look at Elena with a sympathetic glance, and an 'I'm sorry' swirling in his eyes. Elena replied with a reassuring smile. Damon's father cleared his throat, to remind Elena of his presence. She returned her attention to the eldest Salvatore. She tried not to let her bias hatred for the man show.

"Jonathan and Florence are waiting for you in the carriage at the main entrance," he looked at her like she was below him. Elena pursed her lips, trying to stifle her anger. She gave a light curtsey and gave a respectful 'thank you, sir,' before meeting with the Gilbert siblings at the carriage.

**2010**

Damon needed another smoke. He reached into his pocket and produced one last cigarette. Lighting it, he continued his walk in the sleepy dark streets of Mystic Falls. Damon let the interaction his seventeen year old self and Elena had with his father replay in his head. Feelings which he had shoved deep down, now found their way to the surface, rubbing salt on Damon's already open wound of a mood. His father, Katherine, and his agitations with Elena all in one night. Yes, Damon Salvatore was in need of more alcohol- much more.

~ Alrgihty, all, that would be chapter six. I apologize if it's boring and filled with way too many paragraphs of feelings and emotions, but there you have it hahaha. Now, from here on, I suspect the story to become more interesting. Hopefully, it will. Now, I wanted to take a second to once again thank everyone who has reviewed, favorited, and subscribed to this story. It means the world to me! Now, no matter how horrid this chapter may be, I do hope you continue your support and press that wonderful review button. Also, wanted to give credit where needed. I did indeed add some lines from 'The Notebook'. I switched a word or two up, but that's about it.

**Remember, reviews are love, people! ;)**


	7. Of Epiphanies and the Wicked

Damon made his way down the sleepy streets in a daze. Never, in many years, had he let feelings totally take him over- he almost felt as though he was human. The thought sent a shiver down the vampire's spine. Letting out a sigh, Damon took the last drag of the cigarette before tossing the butt to the ground and grinding it to ash with the heel of his shoe. Staring down at the disfigured cigarette, Damon couldn't remember the last time he had taken a leisurely stroll in the night. He'd always been a predator of the darkness, lurking in the shadows, waiting to pounce on his prey. There was something very surreal about his current situation. Here, in one of the most stressful periods to date, in his undead life, he was taking a relaxed meander through the streets of his hometown. Damon glanced up to find himself standing at the entrance to the Mystic Grill. Damon trudged to the door and whipped it open, finding his way to the bar. Plopping heavily into one of the stools, he looked to the bartender.

"Bourbon," he muttered, then brushed his hands tiredly over his face. Taking his hands from his eyes, he saw the bartender slide him a tumbler of bourbon. Raising the glass to him in mute gratitude, Damon shot back the alcohol. Clicking his tongue, he placed the glass on the table.

"Rough night?" came a raspy voice from Damon's left. He stiffened.

"What are you doing here, Rose," he said flatly. Damon signaled to the man behind the bar that he was in need of another drink. As the bartender reached for the bourbon, Damon shook his head. "Vodka," he specified. Rose sighed beside him.

"So, what. You're just going to ignore me all night?" she leaned her elbow on the table and propped her head on her hand.

"That's the plan," he shot back flatly.

"When did you become such a killjoy? Stefan's rubbing off on you, Damon," she knew this would get his attention. Damon whipped his head fiercely in her direction.

"There are three instances in life in which you don't bother me: when I'm hungry, when I'm pissed, and when I'm drinking. Right now, you've broken all three cardinal instances. So, vamoose," he flicked his hand towards her dismissively, as he picked up the glass the bartender had brought over. He swished the clear substance around in the shot glass, waiting for Rose to leave. "Well?" he asked agitated.

"You're mad," she stated.

"Woah, that's crazy! What gave you that idea!" he bit out in sarcasm, rolling his azure eyes.

"I'm sorry, Damon… I-"

"Don't do that," he cut her off. "Sorry doesn't cut it, Rose. I'm not even the one you should be apologizing to," he looked up at her from his sunken position. His dark eyebrows cast a shadow over his cobalt eyes, adding a tone of darkness to him. It mirrored his emotions perfectly.

"Look, Damon, you don't understand-"

Again, she was cut off. "Don't understand," he deadpanned. "Don't _understand?_ What's not to get. You bailed. You fucking left Elena alone; with Elijah, right there! No, sorry doesn't make up for that. She could have died, Rose. _Died,_" he shot back the vodka in his hand.

"Well, to be technical, she wasn't alone. You were there," she gave a weak smile. Her words only added to Damon's fury.

"Don't turn this onto me. You took her to that house, knowing the risk. Then you left, when things got sticky," he shook his head. "You've come here for absolution- but allow me to be the one to tell you: you won't find it here."

Rose sighed at this. "I suppose you're right Damon. But, I do have one question. Who was it, who came here, not so long ago, looking basically for the same thing?"

Damon stared at her. "I didn't come back here for forgiveness," he crossed his arms defensively over his chest.

"Deny it. Say it was for your own twisted little games. But, Damon, no matter how much you smother it, the truth is still the truth," she supplied a no-teeth light smile.

"You're lecturing me. Oh, no, no, no, you don't. This conversation isn't about me. It's about you being a total bitch in leaving."

Rose held her hands over her heart and plastered a look of fake hurt over her flawless ivory skin. "So hurtful, Damon! How will I ever survive after those words?"

"I'm sure your heart will throw out those feelings soon and you'll become your coldhearted self once more," he turned away from her, shaking his glass to signal to the bartender he needed another drink.

"Damon," she looked at him, "this is rubbish. Why are you being so stubborn!"

"It's what I do. Now, if I'm that irksome to you, please, oh _please _leave."

"Even if I wanted to, I wouldn't," she whispered, losing eye contact with the vampire. "You're all alone, Damon. And I can tell that you're hurting. You shouldn't have to go through this alone; whatever it is." Rose knew better than to ask for specifics.

"I'm not alone," he said flatly, "I've got a whole bar full of booze. Who needs lousy friends like you when I've got a glass and some hard liquor?" he began to stare at the counter once more. His eyes glazed over in a daze. Rose could detect… pain in his eyes? This astounded her. Damon Salvatore was letting emotions take him over. Not only that, he was letting the _show._

"I can tell you're in pain. Why suffer? Turn it off, and spend the night with me," she gave Damon a flirtatious smirk. How could Damon say no? Escape his troubles and have a girl willingly be at his disposal.

"I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all. And doll face, I'd sleep with the devil before I even consider you." He shot back the new glass of vodka, and clicked his tongue as he lightly slammed the jigger back on the counter. "Why are you so persistent anyways? Just leave."

"I-I can't," she whispered, dropping her head. Her layered bangs covered her eyes. Damon made no attempt to speak, so she continued, "I have nowhere else to go. Please, just- just let me stay with you. I'll stay out of your way- it'll be like I'm not even here," she pleaded with him.

"Huh. Problem, though. You would be here. Not happening." Damon dug into his pocket and produced a black wallet. Tugging out some cash, he placed it on the table. "Cheerio, mate," he faked with a British accent, as he made his way to the door. Swinging the door open, he sauntered out, allowing the door to slam with a bang. It was quiet symbolism for the conversation being officially closed. Rose stared at the door, in silent hope she'd see Damon reappear with a new mindset. _Fuck it, _she thought, and exited the Grill to find him.

**1861**

The carriage pulled in front of the Gilbert Plantation. The journey home had been silent. Elena assumed Florence and John were well aware of where she had been all night. They made no comment toward the matter, though. Once in the house, Elena excused herself to her room. Opening the door, she was met with Lavi.

"Evenin', ma'am," Lavi bowed. Elena nodded her head in response, a small smile on her lips. Elena made her way fully into the room and stood in front of Lavi.

She began to undress Elena.

"Lavi," Elena began, "have you ever had such a magical night that you feel like- like you've come alive for the first time?"

"How's that?" Lavi asked, confused.

"You see, I met a boy tonight," Elena bit her lip, all the memories of the night flooding into her head.

"Pardon me, ma'am, but why you be tellin' me this? I'm sho Ms. Gilbert'd be a good audience," Lavi returned to untying Elena's corset.

"Well," Elena pondered, "because I want to. Seems to me, we will be around each other a lot. Figured, why not become acquainted with each other?" she gave a smile.

"Why, that sounds mighty nice. Don't know how Master Gilbert would take it, though."

"Master Gilbert," Elena said, "would want a relative of his to be happy, would he not?"

"I'd suppose so. Ain't knowed a fella who hasn't wanted to make his family happy," Lavi replied with a shrug.

"Precisely. And what would make me happy right now, would be to talk to you," she smiled. All hesitations of treating Lavi as anything less than friend were no longer an option. Elena wasn't about to stoop to the level of immorality.

Lavi smiled back. "You sho are mighty nice, Miss Elena. I'm sorry for interruptin'," Lavi bowed her head.

"There is nothing to be sorry for." It shocked Elena that Lavi immediately thought she had done something wrong. She supposed it was the mentality of most slaves. "Well," she continued, "I met a boy tonight. His name is Damon." Elena bit her lip and she could feel the blush come over her cheeks. "He may possibly be the sweetest boy I've ever known. He's charming, and funny, and delicate… oh, Lavi, he is simply amazing!"

Lavi smiled. "He sounds like a mighty fine catch, Miss Gilbert."

"Yes, Damon is indeed that. He may very well be the most infuriating person I know, though. He has as many traits as there are phases of the moon. He is sarcastic yet delicate; powerful yet fragile; loveable yet easy to ha-"Elena paused. She no longer found herself speaking of human Damon. Everything she was spilling from her heart about Damon was of the vampire. Maybe, just maybe, the two weren't as different as she thought. It bewildered her that she had flown so easily from the human to the vampire. The two were like night and day, yet somehow they both fused perfectly to create the twilight, which Elena was now stuck in. She no longer only had Damon and Stefan to worry over- she now had human Damon. The thought made no sense to her, yet it all seemed perfectly clear. 1861 Damon had qualities Elena adored; qualities which the vampire had lost over the centuries. 2010 Damon, though, also possessed traits Elena loved, which human Damon had yet to formulate. God, how much more complicated could Elena Gilbert's life get?

**2010**

Damon sat on the curb of some unknown street, staring ahead of him. Damon had not entered Elena's head since he had been at the Grill; he couldn't stand to hear any more. Life was too fucking complicated. Stefan in the tomb, Katherine playing her mind games, Rose back in town, and Elena and her stupid little crush on his seventeen year old self. Yes, it was a definite- Damon Salvatore's life sucked. He was out of smokes, and there wasn't a bar around; all he could do was sit. And sitting lead to thinking. And thinking lead to… well, one or two less people in the town of Mystic Falls; depending on Damon's mood.

Damon's ears perked up when he heard footsteps coming his way. Turning, he saw Rose speeding over. She took a hesitant seat next to him.

"Before you say anything, let me get this out. Damon, you don't have to be alone in the world. It never does any good- just leaves you cold and jaded. I know I'm one to talk, but I don't want you to continue making the same mistake I did," she put her hand on his knee. "You have people that care for you- don't let them go. Because once they're gone, it's one hell of a bitch trying to get them back. You have a brother who loves you; you have me- a friend who wants what's best for you. You have Elena, Damon. I know it's hard being in love with your brother's girlfriend, but-"

"I never said I loved her."

"Want to try that again?"

"I don't love her," he broke their gaze, his shoes suddenly becoming very enthralling.

Rose sighed. "Deny all you want. But like I said, you can't hide from the truth."

"Watch me," he countered.

"Don't do this. Pushing people away- after a while they won't come back."

"Since when did you become Yoda?" Damon couldn't take a serious conversation at the moment. It might break him.

"Look, you're a mess right now," Damon looked at her flatly as she spoke those words. "I want to help you. It never hurt to have help, Damon."

"But what if it does?" he whispered.

"What's this about, Damon? Talk to me," she tightened her grip slightly on his knee.

"No," he said hoarsely. "There's nothing to talk about."

"Argh! Damon, what is with you? One second you're about to delve deep into the reasons for your pain, and the next you're a vacant shadow."

"You want to know why?" he looked at her blankly. She nodded. "It's to protect myself," he said with a shrug.

"Protect yourself," she repeated flatly. "How do you conclude that?"

"You know something? That's your problem. You pester and push people. I'm not one to take being pushed. I'll respond even harder. I'm a fighter. Trust no one, except yourself, type deal. It's not in my nature to let people in."

"Maybe it is," she countered. Damon's mind was bombarded with Katherine's words all those months ago on Founders Day. It was official. Damon's life had officially found a way to get worse. Opening old wounds always led to pain.

"Look, Rose, I appreciate the uplifting words, but it's no use. It's hard to teach an old dog new tricks." Why was Damon even talking to Rose? She had betrayed him; betrayed Elena.

"Well, thank god the tricks I'm trying to teach aren't new. They've just been unused for many years. I can get you to use them again." Damon sighed at this. She did have a good point. Fuck.

"Huh. Look, Yoda, I hope right you are," he taunted.

"There's my Damon," she smiled, patting the knee she'd been grasping. Damon stiffened at her words. Her Damon… there was something nauseating about those words. Damon Salvatore wasn't supposed to belong to anyone except himself. Yet, Elena owned his heart, Stefan owned his agitation, Katherine held his temptation, and Rose possessed his ideas of right and wrong. It suddenly occurred to Damon that he'd been living an illusion the past few centuries. He'd always believed everything he did was for him- no one could influence or persuade him. The truth was, everything he had done, and does, is controlled by the people around him. He came back to Mystic Falls for Katherine; he stayed for Elena, and admittedly, his brother. It was because of Elena, and to some degree Katherine, that Damon decided to allow his humanity to rule. It was due to of Elena and Rose that Damon was sitting on this curb, having this epiphany.

Rubbing his hands over his face, Damon sighed deeply.

"What's on your mind?" Rose asked moving the hand that had been residing on his knee onto his shoulder.

"Nothing, everything- I don't know," he stared out into the distance. Rose had never seen Damon like this. He was emotionless, detached, confused. This worried her.

"I've never seen you like this," she commented with wide eyes. "Talk to me- let me help."

"Why do you want to help me. You seemed perfectly content deserting me and Elena at the house," Damon ground out, monotonously.

Rose took a deep breath in. "Consider this my apology. You said it yourself: sorry doesn't cut it. After you left, I realized you were right. So, treat this as my request for forgiveness."

Damon laughed. "'Request for forgiveness,'" he laughed again. "What century are you from, oldie?"

Rose just looked at him flatly. She understood what the vampire was trying to do- steer the conversation clear of any depth or meaning. She raised her eyebrow at him.

"Fine," he sighed. "Elena's in 1861, and-"

"Wait," Rose put up a hand to hush him. "Elena is in 1861?" she shook her head. "Start from the beginning," she finished, crossing her arms over her chest.

"So demanding," Damon drawled with a sigh. "Alright. So, it was a dark and stormy night," Damon wriggled his fingers creepily.

"Please, be serious, here. Bloody hell," she shook her head.

The smirk that had been displayed on Damon's face dissolved. "Elena was in the Boarding House waiting for Stefan, and came across my diary from 1859-1861. She began to read, then took it with her when she left. I knew she took it, so I texted her saying stealing wasn't nice. I went to her house, and she apologized. Being the snarky, cynical god that I am, I told her there was juicy stuff in there; if only she could actually see it. Well, guess Elena took it to heart, because that night she went to Bonnie," Rose gave a blank look.

"Bonnie is the town's little teenage witch. Anyways, she goes to Bonnie and says 'send me into Damon and Stefan's past!'" he imitates in a high pitched voice. "And well, she ended up there- in 1861."

"Okay," Rose replies slowly, "Elena's in another century. What does this have to do with why you're so…. disheveled?"

"I am not disheveled," he shot back. Rose just stared. "Okay," he continued, "so maybe a little. But Elena being in the past isn't what's bothering me." He stopped, and looked down.

"Well, mate, care to elaborate?" she raised a brunette eyebrow.

"She met seventeen year old me; and is falling for him," he sighed, raking a hand through his ebony hair. His steel blue eyes were churning with turmoil.

"Ho- how do you know she's falling?"

"Vampire telepathy. You know, that really cool trick that can sometimes ruin your fucking life?" his voice rose as his sentence progressed.

Rose sighed and gave a sympathetic look. "How is that bad though? That is what you want, no? Her to fall for you?

"Tiny problem: the man she's falling for isn't me anymore. He's gone; dead."

"No, Damon, he's not. You just choose to hide him."

"Is another lecture in my near future?" Damon groaned.

"Do you need to be lectured?" she countered. Again, Damon had that nauseating feeling. Elena had said those same words to him. Tally another reopened wound to Damon's growing list. Damon pursed his lips at Rose as a response.

"Look, Damon-"she began.

"Could we please drop the subject? I'm beginning to feel as if I'm on _The View._" And with that sentence, Damon had successfully hid his feelings from Rose.

"Damon," Rose began, "where's Stefan?"

In response, Damon chuckled darkly. "Stefy's found himself a bit… stuck."

"You don't have to be cryptic about it. You have no one to entertain. Spill."

"He's in the tomb with Katherine."

"How the hell did Stefan manage that?"

"His annoying attempts at being the savior," shrugged nonchalantly.

**1861**

Elena lay in bed, her mind whirling. Her annoying love triangle transformed into a square, merely four hours ago. Trying to calm herself into a peaceful sleep, Elena took a deep breath. Her eyelids hung heavy over her chocolate orbs, and before she knew it, she was out cold.

_Elena was chained to a tree. The rough edges of the trunk scratched against her back. Her body was tired, her mind on overdrive. Her eyes adjusting to the blackness of the night, she saw a man lying on the ground, on his stomach. He was convulsing, shaking… dying? Soon, another man approached the writhing body. Pulling his leg back, he let go with full force. His foot made contact with the pained body's head. Elena could hear the cracking of the skull, and could only imagine the vast amounts of blood pouring from the victim. The torturer continued his work, blasting the man all over the body. Elena could hear bones cracking and groans escaping the man's lips. After five solid minutes of torturous destruction of the man's body, the torturer ceased. He tilted his head malevolently to one side and smirked. Within the following seconds, his foot hand flipped the man onto his back, and stomped hard on his chest. Listening to the fracturing bones, Elena let out a whimper. This was unfair. What had the man done to deserve such awful punishment? As Elena let out her second sob, the tortured man lifted his eyes to meet hers. They were steel blue- swirling with pain, agony, and… love? _

"_Damon?" Elena whispered shakily. Damon tried his best to supply her with a smile and light nod, but was only met with agonizing pain. Knowing who the man was only made the visions of the torture worse. She couldn't watch Damon be beat so archaically- it tugged at her heart. Every time she watched Damon take a blow, she felt as if she was receiving the whiplash of it. Tears began to roll heavily from the girl's eyes; this only made the torturer laugh wickedly. He tugged at Damon's shoulders, forcing him to sit upright. He placed his hands on Damon's neck and began to twist…_

Elena shot up in bed with a start. She was crying as her body shacked. She begged and pleaded with Fate that what she had just experienced was only a dream.

**2010**

Damon and Rose sat on the curb, laughing at Damon's spiteful joke about his brother. Simultaneously, their laughter ceased. Standing in front of them was Elijah.

"I have a deal for you," he eyed them down.

Yes, the wicked had arrived.

~Okeydokey, that was chapter seven. So, I introduced some new characters, some realizations have been made, and Elena once again has had a nightmare… hmmm. Well, the next chapters will be intense. **Please oh please tell me your ideas for the climax!** Since you all are my readers, I'd love to know what you'd like to see happen, because I aim to please you guys. And yes, I will be introducing Klaus soon… patience, dear readers ;)As always, reviews are greatly appreciated! I also wanted to take a secondand thank **smithsbabe65 **for all her brilliant ideas! Thank you so much! Also, thanks to all my loyal reviewers! It means the world to me! God bless, and happy holidays!

**Remember, reviews are love, people! ;)**


	8. Of Secrets and Brunches

**Quick A/N: **So, in this story, I've decided I'm going to spice up the Originals; make them my own. It'll be the same basic idea, but they'll be somewhat my own. (Disclaimer: I still don't own them. Or any other character from The Vampire Diaries… sadly). Anyways, just wanted to put that out there so you don't kill me for it in your review haha.

"I have a deal for you," Elijah said, eyeing them down. Damon looked about ready to shoot back some snarky comment, but Rose gave him a warning look. Damon stifled any remark he was attempting to make.

"We all have a mutual goal," Elijah continued. At this, Damon had to voice his opinion.

"A mutual goal?" Damon laughed. "How the hell could we have a mutual goal? You want Elena dead." He didn't have to add in he certainly enjoyed having her alive, for it was written very clearly on the vampire's face.

"All of us want Klaus dead," Elijah clarified flatly.

"Point being?" Damon bit out.

"Do not test me, boy," Elijah warned. Damon clicked his tongue in response.

"Wouldn't think of it, _sir,_" Damon replied with a growing smirk.

"Damon!" Rose reprimanded. She then turned her gaze to Elijah. "Elijah," she began softly, "what is it you want?"

"See, there, Salvatore, that is a more proper and effective way to get an answer." His eyes wandered to Rose. "Though, I must say, Rose, your etiquette has begun to relapse." Both Damon and Rose stared at the Original. "Oh, yes, the deal. We all want Klaus dead, correct? Correct. So, why not work together? You help me kill him," he turned to Damon, "and I can get Elena back to the present." He stopped to let the information sink in. A look passed over Damon's face. Horror mixed with intrigue which then fused with paranoia, which finally laced with skepticism.

"Do not look so surprised, Damon. Did you honestly believe I have not been watching? I make it my job to oversee my interests. And Elena is very intriguing. As for you? You just happened to be in the way."

"If you really have been watching you would have known that there is a time limit on her little detour into my past," Damon raised a quizzical eyebrow.

"Two weeks," Elijah stated. "I am aware. But, tell me, Damon, do you really want her there for two weeks? If I am not mistaken, at this point, you and Stefan were in a quarrel over- oh, what was her name?"

Damon winced.

"Oh, yes," Elijah pressed on, "Caroline Hale." Elijah supplied a defiant gaze. Damon ground his teeth together hard. He did not want to get into the incident of Caroline Hale.

"But, if I am not mistaken," Elijah continued even further, "this quarrel was not only between you and your brother. There was a third. Jameson Laich, if my memory serves me correctly."

"Damon, what is he talking about?" Rose questioned.

"Yes, Damon, why don't you regale us with your tale?" Elijah supplied.

"How do you even know about that, Elijah?" Damon glared at the elder vampire.

"I told you, Damon, I oversee my interests. Elena has feelings for you, so that makes you my interest. I've done my research." Elijah shrugged.

Damon let out a low growl. "Jameson had been a friend of mine, and in turn, Stefan's, for many years. I suppose you could say our bond was tight. The three musketeers, if you will. But then the Hale family came to town. It was in the late winter of '61. We learned Mr. Hale had a daughter- Caroline. My god was she beautiful. Blonde hair, sparkling green eyes-"

"Moving right along," Elijah interrupted. Damon gave him a glare.

"Anyways, all three of us were instantly bewitched by her. Jameson and Stefan especially. A cold war formed between the two, I suppose. They flirted with the girl every chance they got. Parties, encounters at the market, you name it. The whole situation became a huge race between the two former friends- a long, two month race. Both Stefan and Jameson alike, told me of how the other was 'stealing their girl'. I attempted to stay neutral. Jameson was my best friend, but Stefan was my brother. I couldn't take a side." Damon took this moment to sigh. "Well, one night, Stefan began to tell me of his plan to… eliminate the competition. He planned to go to Jameson with an offer of truce. Apples were Jameson's favorite food, so that was to be his gift, I guess. But the apple was going to be poisoned with arsenic. Stefan was never the industrious type, though, so I thought little of it. But, to my horror, Stefan went through with his plan. Mr. Laich came to the house that night, with the news of his son's death. At the time, coincidentally, the Hale's were over for brunch. You should have seen the look on Caroline's face. She was shattered. It was then I realized that it was Jameson that Caroline had wanted."

Rose stared at Damon in shock. Never, had she ever imagined Stefan to have the audacity to kill- for anything. Especially not a petty fifteen year old crush. But alas, it was the truth.

"That night, Caroline committed suicide. She had hung herself in her room. Stefan was totally distraught. Guilt overtook him like a plague. He became quiet, and tentative- like he is now. For me, the guilt was horrific as well. I had known about Stefan's plan, but had done nothing to stop it. It haunted me for years." Damon ended his story with that sentence.

"Wow," Rose breathed.

"Indeed," Elijah supplied flatly. "So, Damon, you do not want Elena there to see that whole ordeal now, do you?"

"No," was the only answer Damon could muster.

"Brilliant. So, help me kill Klaus, and you will get Elena before she has to see that. Deal?"

"How can I trust you?" Damon replied.

"Rose, you trust me, don't you?" Elijah questioned.

Rose couldn't deny it. There had always been something very alluring about Elijah. She would never admit it, not even fully to herself, but she loved him. She had no way of escaping it- it was the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help her god. Looking into the gray eyes of Elijah, she couldn't help but trust the vampire.

"Yes," she finally whispered. Damon turned to look at her, completely astounded.

"Fabulous. So, it's settled." Elijah gave a calculating smile. Damon picked up on this immediately.

"I'm going to need some reassurance first." Damon glared at the fellow vampire.

"Very well," Elijah sighed, "I'll get your brother out of the tomb."

Damon raised an eyebrow. "How do you even know I want him out?"

"Must I repeat myself again? My god, you must have been a horrid student. But, I'll say it again- I keep tabs on my interests. "Elijah crossed him arms over his chest.

"Fine," Damon surrendered, "but how do you intend on getting him out? Last time I checked, vampires aren't witches and warlocks. Or, did I miss that memo?"

'You aren't the only one with a witch, Damon."

"Elijah," Rose interjected, "what do you gain from all of this?"

"Me? Well, you see, Klaus and I had a fallout at the end of the 90s. I left, vowing to avenge him. So, consider this my avengement. But also, when we get your brother from the tomb, Damon, I want Katarina."

"Katherine," Damon echoed flatly.

"Indeed, what better revenge, then to use his own love against him?"

"Let me get this straight. You want _Katherine _to help us?" A look of shock danced across the beautiful vampire's face.

"Yes," he replied simply. "And trust me, she'll help. Katarina will do virtually anything to eliminate Klaus."

"Wonderful. We've got two corrupted vampires, one scaredy-cat, and two bickering brothers going up against the most powerful vampire in the world. This is going to be like one of those episodes on the Discovery Channel. You know, when the lion preys on the antelope?" Damon paused. "Yeah, we're the antelope." Damon crossed his arms.

**1861**

This was the second night in a row where Elena had had a nightmare involving Damon and some devil of the night. It scared her. This was one of those moments where she needed her diary. Elena had always considered that book as her outlet- the one place she could turn to when no one would listen. Glancing out the window, she could see the sun beginning to creep above the trees. Elena decided now was as good a time as any to head downstairs. Walking to her door, she felt the full blast of how hungry she was. It pained her to stand up straight, for her stomach had contracted immensely over the night. Pushing through the pain, she made her way down the grand staircase and into the parlor. As expected, she found Florence.

"Join me, Elena," Florence said from the couch. Elena nodded, and tentatively walked over, and lightly took a seat.

"I hear you were acquainted with Damon Salvatore last night," Florence turned to face the girl.

"Yes, ma'am, I was," Elena said lightly. Was she in trouble?

"Elena," Florence chuckled, "you think I am angry with you." It wasn't a question. "Sweetheart, how could I be angry? You are making yourself at home here; that is all I want. Added bonus, Damon Salvatore is a real catch," she put her pointer finger to her lips, "but hush. You never heard that from me." She smiled.

It was in that moment, that Elena realized Florence Gilbert was very much akin to Aunt Jenna.

"Florence, when will I be able to see him again?"

The elder Gilbert laughed. "Tonight, actually. Jonathan has invited them for brunch." She supplied a smile.

"That sounds amazing," Elena smiled. "Florence, would it be acceptable to take a bath before they arrive?"

"Sure, dear. I believe soap and a towel are already out there."

"Thank you," Elena replied.

Elena made her way to the lake, lazily. This was the first time in a year, really, where she could leisurely do something. Her only stress right now, was impressing Damon. Isn't that the way a teenager's life should be? School, boys, and sports. Yeah, as if. Vampires, spells, and life threatening situations. Again, Elena felt like Bella Swan- minus the whole damsel in distress, which Bella's character seemed to pull often.

Finally reaching her destination, Elena slipped off her silky ivory nightgown, and slid into the water. It was cold today- shockingly cold. Elena could feel her body slowly go numb; as she attempted to lather the soap in her hands and distribute it over her body. After rinsing, Elena could barely move. How the hell had the water gotten so cold? Not minding the answer, she heaved herself onto the dry land, and sprinted to her towel which was hanging on the limb of a nearby tree. Wrapping it around herself, she relished in the slight warmth it provided for her body. Elena put her nightgown back on and headed for the house.

Making her way to the front door, she sped inside and straight to her room. Again, she was met with Lavi.

"Ms. Gilbert said to wait for you here, ma'am," Lavi explained with a bow.

"Very well, then, Lavi. What are my options of dresses?"

"Ms. Gilbert said this blue one over yonder'd be nice," Lavi pointed to the dress slung over the arm of the chair to the left of her.

"Perfect," Elena agreed, and turned around so Lavi could dress her. By the time Lavi had finished with the dress, there was little time to fix Elena's hair. Elena assured Lavi that leaving it natural would not be a problem. Feeling her curls, Elena couldn't help but guess that she looked like an exact replica of Katherine. The thought sent a shudder down her spine, but she couldn't deny it. She was in 1861, flirting with Damon while with Stefan, and dressed just like her. It was safe to say that Elena Gilbert had transformed into Katherine Pierce. The fact Elena had just admitted this to herself, though, felt lethal- as if that realization would kill her.

"Ma'am," Lavi said, interrupting Elena's thoughts. Elena turned to face the girl.

"Yes?" she gave a small smile.

"Master Salvatore and his sons be here, ma'am," Lavi clasped her hands together.

Elena's body constricted as her heart raced. Damon was downstairs. So was Giuseppe. So was Stefan...

**2010**

"Our chances may not be high, Damon, but isn't it worth a shot?" Rose asked.

Damon let out a sigh. Yes, it was worth a shot. But having to succumb to Elijah made the vampire sick. "I suppose," he replied.

"Splendid," Elijah said, rubbing his hands together. "Shall we release Katarina and Stefan from the tomb?" he was already heading back toward town. Rose and Damon gave each other a glance, before following the Original.

And so, the wicked continue to appear.

~ PLEASE READ! Okay, so that would be chapter eight. I apologize for it being so short. I still have family in town, and wrote this in between games of Apples to Apples… yes, joyous. Anyways, I couldn't leave you guys hanging. I promise that next chapter(s) will be much, much longer. Also, I'm paranoid- I didn't get many reviews for chapter seven… I hope you guys are still with me on this story? Haha I do hope so. I also wanted to take a second to thank **BadBoysAreBest **for putting me in her Author's Note- it meant the world to me!

**Remember, reviews are love, people!**


	9. Of History and Team Awesome

**FYI- Elijah is kind of OOC, but he's supposed to be that way. Lol I told you I was going to make the Originals kind of my own, so please don't kill me in your review because he's slightly OOC. Thank you! :)**

Elijah led Damon and Rose to an apartment complex just outside of Mystic Falls. The building was rundown. Its red brick beginning to crumble and ivy grew tall on the side of the building. Damon looked at the complex in disgust.

"Why are we here again?" Damon complained.

"To pick up the witch, Damon," Rose supplied, speeding up her walk to keep pace with Elijah. Damon sighed, but continued his saunter, lagging behind the elder vampires.

"Would it kill you to keep up?" Rose called.

"Yes, yes it would. And I very much enjoy my afterlife." Damon smirked. The trio made their way to a set of stairs.

"Up we go," Elijah said, flashing up the staircase. Rose followed quickly behind, like a magnet. Damon sighed, and followed them. Damon stopped on the fifth floor when he spotted Rose and Elijah waiting by the door that led into the hallway.

"My god, you're slow!" Elijah stated, uncrossing his ankles and heading through the door. Damon growled in response, whipping the door open and catching up with Elijah and Rose.

"Ah, here we are," Elijah stated from a few feet away. He stood by a white door, with the address 31B in gold colored letters. He knocked lightly at first, but his second knock was more akin to a thud. The door opened to reveal a young man. He looked no more than twenty years old. His black hair hung over his green eyes. Both features were accentuated by his ivory skin. If Damon was a betting man, he'd put all his money on the fact that twenty-first century women would find him hot and/or sexy; depending on the woman.

"Elijah," he greeted, his voice having a heavy Scottish accent.

"Scotty," Elijah said in return. Damon let a laugh escape his lips.

"'Scotty'," he taunted, "like from Star Trek? Haha 'beam me up, Scotty!'" Damon's laugh transformed into a full out laughing fit.

"No," Scotty replied flatly, "not like from Star Trek." He gave a glare to the vampire. If this situation had been in a cartoon, Damon was positive he would see smoke fuming from Scotty's ears. The young warlock turned his attention back to Elijah. "What can I do for you?"

"We need to break a spell. A spell put on a tomb. We have… friends, we'd like to release," Elijah offered.

"Huh. Sounds easy enough. Shall we go?" Scotty closed the door behind him, and headed for the stairs.

"He's definitely an excited one," Rose whispered to Damon. He gave a nod and followed Scotty and Elijah down the stairs.

Katherine breathed heavily. "Thank god for vampire stamina! If I had been human I don't think my body could have lasted. God, Stefan, I didn't know you had it in you," she gave a seductive smile.

"Wanna test that endurance a little more?" he leaned in for a kiss. Katherine accepted it eagerly. She couldn't get enough of him. There was no breathing room between the two, but she wanted to be closer. Katherine pressed the younger vampire to the floor, kissing her way down his lean body. Stefan moaned in pleasure. He shouldn't be doing this. Every logical part of his brain screamed to stop. He was with Elena- he loved Elena. Right? Yet, he made no attempt to stop the wonderful, hot, fierce, seductive work Katherine was doing to his body. Suddenly, Katherine's head shot up.

"What is it?" he asked huskily. Did she regret their actions? Was it all some sick twisted plan of hers?

"Get dressed. We've got company coming," she said while slipping into her kinky black dress. She ran her fingers through her now knotted brunette trusses. She turned to face Stefan. "Hurry!" she whispered harshly. Stefan just finished putting on his gray shirt when they heard footsteps coming.

"I still think it's from Star Trek," they could hear Damon say.

"My name is _not _from Star Trek! Let it go, mate. How would you like it if I said your name was from The Omen," the heavy Scottish voice of Scotty replied.

"Technically, _mate,_ the name is Damien- my name's Damon. Tiny difference there." He further proved his point by holding his thumb and pointer finger about an inch apart, squinting his eyes.

"Do shut up," Rose interrupted. "Be serious. This is a serious matter." She crossed her arms.

"You're right, Rose. It is a serious matter. I think Scotty's name is like the one in Star Trek, and he thinks my name is Damien. Yes, this is very serious. We should get CNN to do coverage of this horrifyingly serious issue. I'd love to get Anderson Cooper's take on all this," Damon turned to Scotty. "I think he'd agree with me on the issue of your name being from Star Trek."

Elijah let out a growl, as they reached the end of the stairs. "Shut up, do not talk, and let Scotty perform the spell. Got that, Salvatore?"

"Aye, sir. I read you loud and clear," Damon replied as he mockingly saluted the elder vampire. The foursome reached the entrance to the tomb, and pushed the stone barrier away, revealing Stefan.

"Damon," he greeted, still trying to recover from the scare of them being so close while he and Katherine were still… in no condition to have company. "What are Rose and Elijah doing with you?" he asked skeptically. He didn't put it past his brother whatsoever to join the dark side.

"Wow, I'm loving the support here, man. I come to get you out of this hellhole, and you think I've joined the bad guys," he tisked his brother.

"Let us out, already, then," Katherine's voice came as she joined the group.

"You will speak when spoken to, Katarina," Elijah warned sharply. The smirk that had been dancing on the female's face faded, and she stood a little straighter. Elijah turned to Scotty.

"Perform the spell," he instructed. Scotty gave a nod, and closed his eyes. At first, his voice was no more than a whisper. But with every phrase, his voice grew. His Latin sounded like Tongues; an ancient prayer. The wind picked up slightly, and the ebony hair that swiped over the boy's face scattered in all different directions. Scotty's chants became whispers once more, and the wind died.

"Done," he stated simply. Katherine made a break for the exit, but was stopped when Elijah flashed in front of her.

"Stay," he bit out. "You're not going anywhere."

"Yeah, we're all in a group. Ever heard of the Buddy System?" Katherine gave Damon a blank look. "No? Well, welcome, partner! Meet your new buddy, Rose," he nudged Rose to his ex. Rose shot Damon a glare, silently saying 'fuck you'. Katherine didn't look too pleased herself. Katherine turned to Elijah.

"Elijah, what's going on, here?" her voice was light.

"You see, Katarina, we all want Klaus dead; for one reason or another. We have decided to work together on this, to achieve that common goal. You and Stefan are part of this too." It wasn't a suggestion.

"Pardon my frankness, but why do you want Klaus dead? If I remember correctly, you two were close." Katherine asked. This shocked Damon and Stefan alike. Never, in all of their long lives, had they seen Katherine succumb to anyone. Yet, here she was, basically bowing down at Elijah's feet. Damon gained new respect for the Original.

"Klaus and I- we had conflicting opinions." Katherine knew not to pester anymore. Elijah turned his attention to Damon.

"We will stay at your home. We can conduct our plan there as well." With that, he turned and sped up the stairs. The four remaining vampires sped after him.

"I'll just walk," Scotty deadpanned, and trudged up the steps. "Bloody vampires," he muttered.

**1861**

Elena let out a shaky breath, before heading out of the door and down the stair case. Walking to the stairs, she smoothed her dress about a dozen times. When she made it to the end of the stairs, she lifted her head higher, and entered the parlor where she could hear voices.

"Elena Gilbert," Giuseppe Salvatore smiled fakely. "What a pleasure to see you again."

Was this guy for real? "You as well, Mr. Salvatore," she said, while curtsying lightly.

"You have already been acquainted with his son Damon," Florence added. Elena supplied the older brother with a curtsy, while trying to hide the smirk that was creeping its way onto her face. Damon replied with a bow, trying to hide a smirk of his own. "This," Florence continued gesturing towards Stefan, "is Giuseppe's younger son, Stefan." Elena could feel her heart stop. When she looked at the boy, she felt no spark; no butterflies in her stomach; no blush rushing to her cheeks. When she looked at Stefan Salvatore, all she saw was another rich man. Ignoring these thoughts, she curtsied while supplying a warm smile. Stefan stared at the girl like she was a bug- that must be squashed quickly. He gave a curt nod, and looked away from the girl. Elena couldn't believe this. Stefan- her Stefan, was a first class asshole. Florence picked up on Elena's anger. She wished she could shake some sense into the youngest Salvatore, but she couldn't. Giuseppe Salvatore may very well be the most powerful man in the town.

"How about some tea," Florence suggested lightly.

"That sounds marvelous, Ms. Gilbert," Damon smiled. His father and brother simply turned to the woman and gave curt nods. Elena was astounded. Damon hadn't been exaggerating in his journal when he described Stefan as a mini Giuseppe.

"Calarina," Florence beckoned. A middle aged woman entered the room. She kept her head down, and clasped her hands in front of her.

"Yes, Ms. Gilbert?" she asked softly.

"Tea," was Florence's response. Calarina bowed in response and disappeared from the doorframe. The room fell silent. No one spoke; no one seemed to even breathe. The six simply sat there stagnant on the couches in the lavish parlor. A smirk suddenly began to tug at the youngest Salvatore's lips.

"Will you excuse my brother and me for a moment," Stefan asked slickly, already rising from his seat. He turned to look at his brother, and gave him a look. Damon nodded and rose from his seat. The two brothers walked out of the room and into a vacant hallway.

"What is it, Stefan?" Damon questioned, raising a curious eyebrow.

"I want her," he replied. Damon looked at his brother. He couldn't be speaking of Elena. No, Elena was supposed to be his. Damon had already given up on Caroline Hale, so his brother could have her. "I want Elena," Stefan specified when his brother didn't reply.

"Wh-why?" Damon croaked in response.

"Don't you see, brother, she is perfect. She is what will win me Caroline." An evil smile made its way onto Stefan's lips. Damon continued to be shocked by his brother. Just when he thought his brother couldn't be like their father anymore, there Stefan was, breaking new ground. The cold and calculating trait had found its way into the youngest Salvatore's personality.

"Stefan," Damon warned, "I cannot let you do that. The Gilberts are a very prominent family. You would not want it to reach town that a Salvatore is using a Gilbert to win another girl's heart. You would disgrace the family, Stefan! You do not want that on your conscience, do you brother?" Damon knew this would break pass Stefan's thick skull.

"No one would find out," Stefan said. Damon sighed at this. How stupid could his brother be?

"The second you drop Elena for Caroline, people will talk. And brother, you are sadly mistaken if you think Elena will not speak ill of the Salvatore family once you ditch her. Furthermore, the use of another person for your own benefit is unjust."

Stefan scoffed. "You are such a weak soul, Damon. Don't you see? This is why Father likes me more. I have the personality that will allow the Salvatore family to progress and stay prominent. If Father was to put you in charge, you would worry about other's feelings, and fairness," Stefan gave a disgusted look. "Those are worries of the weak, brother." Damon let out a low growl in response. He loathed when his brother did this to him. Stefan was not his father.

"Stefan," Damon bit out, "I frankly do not care if you think my morals are weak. I do, however, care about the image of this family. I will not allow you to taint it with your own selfishness," Damon glared at his brother.

"You are a horrid brother. Family is supposed to stay together; support each other."

"Support each other? Stefan, you cannot guilt trip me into sanctioning your idea with that fake illusion. You are right, Stefan, family should support one another. But you do not support me, as you proved only moments ago. If you are claiming me to be a horrid brother, I daresay I can say the same for you."

Stefan glared at his brother. "I am doing this with or without your consent, Damon."

"Then why bother to inform me?" Damon countered.

"Because you are my brother," Stefan whispered. Stefan knew this would make his brother grow weak, and give into his plan.

Damon sighed. "I am sorry, Stefan." Stefan stifled the smirk that was growing on his face. Elena Gilbert would soon be his.

**2010**

Damon, Elijah, Rose, Katherine, Stefan, and Scotty all sat in the parlor. Damon shot back the glass of blood that was sitting on the table beside him.

"Alright,' he began, and rubbed his hands together. "Where do we start?" he looked towards Elijah.

"Klaus is a very powerful, well guarded man. Getting to him will be like trying to get to the president," Elijah explained.

"So what are we talking? An inside man?" Rose asked.

"No, Klaus would be able to sniff out that lie in a second." Elijah said, shooting down that thought.

Damon knitted his brow together in deep thought. He turned to Katherine. "What is the story with you and the big guy?"

If Katherine had been human, her face would have paled to a pasty white. "In the fourteenth century, when I was still human, I met Klaus. He flirted his way into my heart, breaking down all my firewalls almost instantaneously. The first time we met, was in the woods. Every day following that, we met in the same place; in secret. About a week into our meetings, he began to feed from me. He told me my blood was the sweetest thing he had ever tasted. That damn bastard compelled me to tell no one of our interactions, so I was all alone in this situation. Klaus became obsessed with me. He demanded more meetings and extended the length as well. Of course, he pleased me, by well," Katherine gave a smirk, "sex. I slowly began to become addicted myself. The more I saw of him, the more I wanted to be a vampire. I finally, after many ounces of blood and hours of sex, convinced him to turn me. Since he could no longer compel me, I promised I would return the next day, per usual. But, that night, I fled. I had always sensed Klaus was no good, but it wasn't until I had turned that I had the courage and ability to actually leave. He hunted for me in the following centuries, but I always outsmarted him. I am not too sure if it was because I left or the fact I outwitted him, that he vowed to find me and torture me for the rest of eternity." Katherine finished her story with a shrug.

"This is perfect," Damon said. "Katherine could go to Klaus and claim she has missed him all of these years, and seduce her way back into his good graces. And when the time is right, we can come in and take him out."

"The plan would be hard to pull off," Rose said. "It would take a while to convince Klaus that Katherine is being genuine in her words." Rose turned to Katherine. "Could you do it?"

"Look. Klaus is a bastard. I'd do anything to commit him an eternity in hell."

"We'll take that as a yes, then," Stefan said. He hated having Katherine seducing Klaus, but if they succeeded, they would all be free of Klaus's hovering threat.

"Wait," Elijah inserted. "We can't have Katarina just go to Klaus out of the blue and confess her 'love'. Klaus has spies here, so they need to catch her in the act of speaking of her love for Klaus. It takes a lot to butter up Klaus into changing his mind about something. And he has been dead set on eliminating Katarina for centuries."

"If I may," Scotty said, "what if he catches on to the fact Katherine is lying. He could break her in an instant. Shouldn't we find a way to protect her from him?"

"Treky," Damon said, "I don't think armor is gonna do much for her."

"What about a spell?" Stefan suggested. A smirk grew on Elijah's face.

"Yes, that is brilliant," he turned to Scotty. "Is there a spell for exaggerating a vampire's powers?"

"Not that I'm aware of, no. But I'm sure I can find one."

"Team Awesome is officially in motion," Damon said.

"No, mate, we are not 'Team Awesome'," Scotty said flatly.

"My god, man. You're just like Stefan. Ugh, I'm surrounded by killjoys," Damon taunted while shaking his head.

"Okay, if this team is going to work, we need rules," Rose said.

"Ah, I like your thinking, Rose! 'The Rules of Team Awesome'. Just like the rules of Fight Club."

Rose gave Damon a flat look. "Rule number one: no taunting each other," she turned to Damon giving him a warning look.

"Rule number two: we stick together," Stefan supplied.

"Rule number three: don't talk about Team Awesome," Damon added.

"And rule number four: worst comes to worst, every man for himself," Elijah finished.

"So, we're really going to do this?" Rose asked.

"We're really doing this," Damon confirmed.

~ **I'M SO SORRY FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAD THE BAD CHAPTER WHERE IT RANDOMLY GOT CUT OFF! So, it's fixed now, so please don't hate me! lol**Okay, so that would be chapter nine. I chose this to be the chapter where technicalities would be taken care of. For the next chapter: will Damon really let Stefan take advantage of Elena to win Caroline? What is the beef between Elijah and Klaus? Will the rest of the group find out about the affair between Katherine and Stefan? All these questions will be answered soon. Also, I know Damon was pretty goofy in this chapter, but the following chapters will be pretty intense, so I figured a lighthearted chapter was in need. I also wanted to give a sneak peak at what the relationship between Scotty and Damon would be like. **Also, the credit of the name 'Team Awesome' goes to smithsbabe65 **** oh, and next chapter will be much longer and will have more of the 1861 story in it. **I'm so sorry that that part of the story has been in such small quantities.

**Remember, reviews are love, people!**


	10. Of Lectures and Blackmail

**1861- Starts right where it left off. **

Damon sighed. "I am sorry, Stefan." Stefan stifled the smirk that was growing on his face. Elena Gilbert would soon be his. "But I still cannot allow you to do this," Damon continued.

"What?" Stefan bit out. This was not how this was supposed to pan out. Damon usually succumbed to Stefan and his ideas.

"I was acquainted with Elena at the party last night. I am enraptured by her, Stefan. I will not allow you to destroy her."

"Your feelings will not stop me from going through with this." Stefan glared at his brother.

"And you, brother; your selfish idiocy will not hinder me from stopping you." Damon was not about to let Elena get hurt by his brother.

"So it is settled then, is it not?" Stefan raised an eyebrow.

"It is." His brother bit back in return. With those words, a civil war broke out between the Salvatore brothers. Damon walked by his brother and back into the parlor. Stefan kept his footing solid, not moving from his spot in the vacant hallway. What had gotten into Damon? He had never been known to fight back. Letting out a light growl in response, Stefan made his way back to the small gathering.

When both brothers returned to the group, Florence, Elena, Jonathan, and Giuseppe alike had looks of confusion and curiosity on their faces. Both brothers attempted to ignore their looks, and took their seats on either side of Elena. Damon found it amusing how their current positions mirrored the growing competition.

"Well," Florence began, "would anyone fancy tea at the moment?"

"No, thank you, ma'am," Damon said, smiling politely. Elena found this adorable. Seventeen year old Damon was too cute.

_I'm still cute, you know._ Elena heard a velvety voice say in her head.

_Damon! What are you doing. I told you to stay out of my head._

_You're right; you did say something like that, huh? Well, you know me, darlin'. Me and rules go together like jelly and vinegar. _

_Ugh. Well, if you weren't already aware, I'm kinda in the middle of something Damon. _

_Ah. So I noticed. My father's being an angle I'm sure?_ The sarcasm in Damon's voice was almost tangible.

_Yeah, sure. Let's go with that. But Damon, is there some reason you're here? Because if not, you have to go. _

_Pushy today, aren't we? Is my younger self totally bewitching you? _

_Damon! _Elena chastised.

_Fine, fine, Miss Serious. I have an update on the sitch here in 2010. I ran into Rose yesterday… and Elijah. _

_You- you saw them?_

_Not only that. Rose and I made a deal with Elijah. He said that if we help him kill Klaus, he'd get Stefan out of the tomb and you out of 1861._

_You told me Bonnie said there was a time limit on the spell. I was going to get out anyways. _Elena was completely confused.

_True. But Elijah said he'd get you out before the time limit is up. _How the hell could Elijah do that? Again, Elena was puzzled. _He has a warlock of his own, _Damon added, reading Elena's confusion. _His name is Scotty. _

_Like from Star Trek? _

_Ha! Glory! A sane person who agrees with me. Scotty claims it's not like the name in Star Trek. _

_Haha. Now is there anything else? Because I really need to go. _

_Aw, what's the rush? _

"Elena," Florence prompted.

"Hmm?" Elena replied. Shit. _Damn you, Damon. _Damon simply chuckled in response.

"I was asking what it was like in New York," Giuseppe said flatly.

"Oh- uh, New York. Right. It is- nice. Cold, but nice." _Wonderful response, genius, _Damon taunted.

_Shut up,_ she bit back in return. She was met with another chuckle from Damon.

"I see." Giuseppe deadpanned. Jonathan sensed the unease in the room.

"Well, Giuseppe, shall we retire to the drawing room?" Jonathan inquired.

"Ah, indeed," he turned to Elena and Florence. "Always a pleasure," he said, giving a tight smile. Both Gilbert women gave smiles in return. The two men then disappeared from the room.

"If it is alright with you, Florence, may I and the Salvatore brothers retire to the gardens?" Elena asked. In her walks to the lake, Elena had seen snippets of a garden. She was quite curious to see them.

"Of course," Florence responded, bowing her head. Elena supplied a warm smile, while getting up from her seat. Both Salvatore brothers rose quickly and followed her to the front door. Exiting the house, the trio was met with the warm southern breeze that was one of the many perks of springtime. The Salvatore brothers found their places on either side of Elena. The lone Gilbert couldn't help but notice how akin this situation was to the one back in present times. She found it humorous how so much could change, yet so little could alter in the 146 year time span. Elena felt a hand brush lightly on hers. She turned to her right, to find Damon fighting back a growing grin. Elena gave a smile of her own, brushing her hand across his. They continued this form of flirting until they reached the entrance to the gardens. Vampire Damon felt sick to his stomach. All the emotions he had felt the night before were returning. Wonderful.

"Well," Elena started once the trio was seated on a stone bench which looked out at the gardens. "This is pretty." Wow. This was awkward.

"And so are you, Elena," Stefan said. He gave a flirtatious smile. Elena gave a polite smile and a soft 'thank you', but felt- disgusted at his comment. No. That couldn't be right. She was fucking _dating _Stefan in the future. But this man next to her was certainly not her boyfriend. This was some evil clone. Elena had always prided herself in being able to read people. And when she read fifteen year old Stefan Salvatore, he screamed scumbag, cold, calculating- a miniature version of his father. The thought felt almost tragic to Elena. The man she was supposed to love, she could only look at in disgust.

"So, Elena," Damon said breaking her from her complex thoughts, "how are you liking Mystic Falls, thus far?" he gave a kind smile. Elena could feel herself falling for him even more. Fuck. This was not good.

"It's beautiful here. So warm, and elegant. I can safety say that I am most pleased that I came here."

"That is wonderful, Elena," Stefan said with a smile. Though his words came out as sweet, Elena couldn't deny the underlying slimyness that tainted his words. Damon shot his brother an agitated look.

"Indeed, Elena, it is quite wonderful that you are enjoying yourself here. Have you met anyone yet?"

"Aside from you and your family? No, I have not. Oh, well, other than the dressmaker Mary."

"Yes, Mary is a sweet woman." Damon smiled. Elena nodded in agreement.

"Sweet?" Stefan scoffed. "I have always found her to be quite bothersome and petty." His face twisted into a look of revulsion. Elena tried to stifle the look of utter shock that was swiftly finding its way onto her face. Stefan, _her _Stefan, would never speak so ill of a person. This Stefan certainly was a wretch. Elena's face finally contoured into a polite smile, and she gave a slight nod. She hated to think this, but Stefan really was a damper on Elena's time with Damon.

"I must admit- I am not that well acquainted with you, Stefan."

"And I am not with you." Stefan gave a puzzled look to Elena.

"Indeed. So, tell me about yourself, Stefan," Elena said with a smile. She had to give fifteen year old Stefan a shot- it was the least she could do.

"As you wish," he said flirtatiously. Elena got that nauseating feeling again. Shit. Why does she feel like this! She was supposed to love this man. Before Stefan went on to describe himself, his brother shot him another glare. This was not supposed to happen. Stefan was not supposed to be in Damon's way, and Elena certainly was _not _supposed to be accommodating Stefan. But alas, that was the way the chips fell. So again, for the umpteenth time, Stefan was stealing everything from Damon.

**2010 **(yeah, I know its 2011 now, but it's not in the story yet. Haha)

Rose stood alone in the living room. She couldn't wrap her head around the idea of going up against Klaus. It was a fucking suicide mission. Stress built up in the vampire until her stomach was clenched so tightly she felt sick. Wrapping her arms around herself, she stared into the fire. A melancholy vibe radiated off of Rose. Her ears perked up when she heard footsteps coming closer. She turned, to find Stefan entering the room. Her heart fell at this- she had hoped it was Elijah.

"Rose," Stefan said, "I wanted to talk to you about something." When Rose didn't respond, Stefan continued. "I don't trust Elijah. He was friends with Klaus, and who's to say he still isn't? He could be a spy or something." Stefan stared at Rose in anticipation. Trying to stifle her defensive words, Rose said:

"I trust him. Yes, he had a dark past, but haven't we all?" She gave Stefan a look.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Damon told us the story of Caroline Hale, Stefan. How could you do it?" Rose's voice lowered.

"I- I," Stefan stumbled, "I was a dumb fifteen year old." Stefan crossed his arms defensively.

"No," Rose replied shaking her head, "no. People don't just _kill _because they're a stupid fifteen year old. And according to how Damon told the story, you seemed to have this whole plan made up at least a day or two before you killed Jameson. That's premeditated murder, Stefan! Dumb fifteen year olds don't commit deliberate executions." Rose mimicked Stefan's stance and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Look, it was stupid. And for that matter, a very long time ago. That's not me anymore."

"That may very well be, Stefan, but time doesn't compensate for taking the life of a human being. "

"Why are you lecturing me? You kidnapped Elena. You're no better than I am."

Rose sighed. "You're right- what I did was wrong. But the difference between you and me is that I have the strength to actually admit that what I did was wrong. You seem to be in denial."

"Rose," Stefan said lightly, "I'm not in denial. You don't think I feel remorse for what I did? I haunts me every day. It's the reason I am the way I am."

A look of sympathy came over Rose's face. 'Stefan, I know. I merely mentioned it to show you that you have to have faith in people- no matter how they've wronged. You're doing it with me, with yourself; you're beginning to with Elijah. But also, if I may, you might want to start having faith in Damon again. Yes, he has done awful things, yet so have you. You and your brother are more alike than you think. He's your _brother_, Stefan."

Stefan's eyes grew dark. "Yes, Damon is my brother. But we are nothing alike. Damon was born to be bad."

"And who told you that," Rose deadpanned. She knew better. Damon could be good- an angel, even. Stefan looked uneasily at the elder vampire.

"M- my father." Stefan looked down. It sounded so insane, coming from his mouth.

'You're father," Rose said flatly. "Look, I get that that idea has probably been engraved in your head from sometime, but Stefan," she looked at the Salvatore pleadingly. "People change. Damon is a fine example of that. It is you, Stefan, who hasn't changed."

Stefan replied with a shaking of his head and a look of mistrust and denial on his face.

"Look. I know what you and Katherine were doing in that tomb." Rose raised an eyebrow.

"Wh- what are you talking about?" Stefan stuttered nervously.

"Oh, come on. I am over five hundred years old. I can hear from pretty far away. Mend things with your brother, or I'll tell him what you were doing with Katherine."

"You wouldn't," he said utterly shocked.

"Want to bet? I'm sure Elijah knows too. So, fix things with Damon, and tell him what transpired between you and Katherine, or me and Elijah will." She glared at the younger vampire.

"Fair enough," Stefan whispered with a sigh, and set off to find Damon.

**1861**

Elena nodded politely as Stefan told her of his love for horseback riding. He had droned on with the subject for at least ten minutes, Elena assumed. Finally, the subject of Stefan's words changed.

"You know, I very much enjoy your company. Perhaps, we could arrange a get-together at some point. There is a very nice restaurant in town." He gave a brazen smile. Looking over Elena's head, his eyes made contact with Damon's. Stefan's eyes were an ocean of tease and taunts, directed to his older brother. Damon glared darkly in return. This was unfair. That should be Damon asking Elena to dinner. Yet as always, Stefan stole his thunder and everything he cared about. Elena turned to Stefan to reply.

"Well," she began tentatively…

**2010**

Stefan found Damon in his study, buried in an old book. Stefan lingered in the doorway.

"Well, don't just stand there," Damon said, not looking up from his reading, "what do you want?"

"Damon," Stefan begun, "there's something I need to tell you."

"Oh?" Damon replied dryly, marking his page, and closing the book.

"When I was in the tomb," Stefan said slowly.

"Jesus, Stefan! What is it! I don't have forever. Okay, well technically I do, but spit it out, brother." He crossed his arms and leaned them on his desk.

"When I was in the tomb," Stefan began again, "I-," he sighed. "I slept with Katherine." His words came out as a whisper, and he dropped his head.

Damon's eyes slowly came up from their downward gaze, until they locked with Stefan's hesitant features.

"You what?" he bit out in reply. "You slept with that fucking bitch? What the _hell _possessed you to do that?" he shook his head. "What happened to the 'I love Elena, not Katherine' crusade? How could you do that to yourself, to me, to _Elena, _Stefan? How the fuck could you do that to Elena?" Damon's eyes were a fury of fire by the end of his sentence.

Stefan had never seen Damon quite like this. He wasn't angered about how this affected him. No, Damon Salvatore was angered about how this affected Stefan and Elena. Yes, the Damon Salvatore- the bad boy, the narcissist- was being selfless…

"I- I don't know," Stefan whispered in timid response. Maybe, just maybe, Rose was right- Stefan and Damon Salvatore were very alike…

~Okay, so there is chapter ten! I'm sorry it's short, but I wanted to have a few cliffhangers in this chapter. Haha. Next chapter, the plot will thicken, cliffhangers will be revealed, and new alliances and trusts will be made. **Also, please check out my new one-shot 'Coming to Terms'! I'd love to know what you think of it!** Anyway, happy holidays new year, and so long until next time! Xoxo

**Remember, reviews are love, people! ;)**


	11. Of Roots and Wings

"You don't know," Damon replied flatly. "Stefan, how can you not know?"

"Look, Damon. It was a spur of the moment thing," Stefan said defensively. But was it? Stefan's heart fell at this. It should be. But in his heart, he knew it was more. He had been waiting for Katherine for centuries. His actions were no mistake.

"Stefan. I don't care if it was planned or not. In all honesty, it makes no difference to me. The fact is, you cheated on Elena; and she deserves to know." Damon crossed his arms over his chest. His cobalt eyes became as cold as ice; showing no signs of empathy for his brother.

"No!" Stefan replied frantically. Damon raised a questioning eyebrow.

"You can't have both wings and roots, Stefan," Damon replied flatly.

Putting up a defensive hand, Stefan replied, "I know, I know. Just- just let me tell her myself; in person. She deserves that much." With each word, Stefan's voice had lowered. His world was falling apart. On the outside, he lived the perfect life; the inside, though. That was the other side of the coin. Hell, darkness, coldness, lies. That was what Stefan Salvatore's life truly was; and it took his own idiocy and temptation to finally bring that to light.

"Fair enough," Damon surrendered. "But, I vote that you be stripped of your medal of the noble knight in shining armor." Though Damon's words were joking, both he and Stefan knew that they were completely serious. Stefan didn't deserve his saintly status. Stefan felt his heart drop even farther at this. Karma surely is a bitch. A knock was suddenly heard at the door. Damon sighed, and went past his brother and opened the door. Scotty stood there awkwardly. Damon had no doubt in his mind that Scotty had heard most, or all, of his and Stefan's conversation.

"Treky," Damon greeted jokingly, "what can I do for you?" he leaned against the door.

Scotty gave a death glare towards the vampire before saying, "Elijah's called a meeting."

"A meeting," Damon sighed. "And this is why I never went corporate," he complained. Damon turned to Stefan and gestured for him to follow. The two vampires followed the warlock to the parlor. Rose, Elijah, and Katherine were already sitting. The three newcomers took their seats, and Elijah took this as his cue to stand.

"A few minutes ago, Katarina brought something to my attention. There is a minor flaw in the plan. Klaus knows that the rest of us are opposed to him. So, Katherine can't speak to us about her 'love' for Klaus. We need someone else in on this that Klaus would never suspect. That is why I called this meeting." Elijah looked at the rest of the group, waiting for someone to make a suggestion.

"Caroline," Damon said. "She has no link to Klaus. Plus, if we get her in on this, we have a good shot of getting her wolfy friend as well." A smile found its way onto Elijah's face.

"Caroline. Who is she?" Elijah then questioned.

"She's a friend of ours. Added bonus, she's a vampire." Damon smirked. Scotty let out a groan.

"Not another vampire," he complained. "God, how many vampires are there in Mystic Falls?" It was a rhetorical question.

"Would you like some cheese with that whine, Treky?" Damon taunted.

"Would you like some death with that taunt, vampy?" Scotty countered. At this, Rose let out a light growl.

"Remember rule number one," she warned. "No taunting each other."

Damon and Scotty let out grumbles, mumbling something to the extent of 'yeah, yeah'. Elijah, who had been watching this scene with amusement, turned to Stefan.

"Go get Caroline. Bring the wolf, too, if you can." Elijah's voice held no kindness; it was strictly business. His gray eyes were callous. Stefan figured he deserved as much, and gave a light nod, and went out the door to find Caroline.

**1861**

"Well," Elena began, "I would love to have dinner with you and your brother." She gave a light smile. Elena knew very well that Stefan had meant just the two of them, but she decided to play dumb on the matter. Elena had no interest in going to dinner with Stefan alone.

Stefan's green eyes grew dark with disappointment and anger. Placing a caustically polite smile on his face, he said, "Ah. Indeed. That would be very nice indeed." This was not how this was supposed to go. Stefan had never been accustomed to losing. But, there is a first time for everything. Stefan Salvatore was losing to his brother, of all people. The fact was bitter, really. Damon was not supposed to win anything. On the other side of the bench, Damon couldn't stop the smile that was growing on his face. His faith in Elena had been reestablished with her answer. It was the glory of all glories. Damon was winning something his brother wasn't. That was only a quarter of the reason he was smiling, though. The other three, though, were because Elena had chosen him in this battle. Damon knew, though, that this war was far from over.

"Yes, it would be nice," Elena continued awkwardly. "Well, I will be excited to see this restaurant you mentioned."

"Ah, yes, the restaurant; they have a very delectable pot roast," Stefan said. Elena gave a tight smile. The trio sat in silence, until they saw a figure approaching them. Her flaxen hair shined in the sun, and fell to her shoulders in perfect curls. Her skin was ivory kissed; perfectly flawless. Once she was closer, Elena saw her emerald green eyes. They were sparkling and magnificent. The girl was simply breathtaking. A smile broke out on the girl's face, when she approached the trio.

"Mornin'," she said in a southern drawl as sweet as honey. "I heard we had a new Gilbert in Mystic Falls, and thought I would introduce myself." Turning to Elena, she said, "Hi, there, I am Caroline Hale. Pleasure to meet you." She gave a broad smile.

"My name's Elena. The pleasure is all mine."

Caroline gave a light smile. "I see you have met the Salvatore brothers."

"Oh, yes, they came over for brunch," Elena explained.

"Oh, how lovely," Caroline smiled.

"Not as lovely as you are," Stefan interjected with a flirtatious smile.

"Oh, Stefan Salvatore," she said cutely, "always the flirtatious one." She then turned to Damon. "Damon Salvatore," she smiled, "how are you?"

"I am fine, and yourself?" Damon smiled. He and Caroline had become good friends since Damon took himself out of the romance square.

"Very well, actually. Jameson has invited me to dinner tomorrow." She smiled broadly. That was the moment that Stefan decided that Jameson Laich needed desperately to be taken out of the equation.

"That is so wonderful, Caroline." Damon smiled. He knew his brother would want to speak to Caroline alone, and also knew that with her here, he could have Elena to himself. He turned to Elena. "Elena, would you care for a stroll through the gardens? I am anxious to see them." He gave a smile, and extended his hand to her. She accepted it gratefully, and allowed him to lead her away from the other two.

When the two were a safe distance away from Stefan and Caroline, Elena whispered, "Thank you," while tightening her grip on his hand. He returned the gesture.

"For what?" He chuckled.

"For taking us away to be alone," she smirked.

"Well, you are very welcome," he smiled in return. Damon let his eyes wander across the scenery, until his eyes made contact with a tall Rosemary Pine tree. He smirked and guided Elena towards it. Damon sat down playfully.

"Ah, now who is the rebel?" Elena asked flirtatiously.

"I believe that would be me. If I do say so myself, though, it is a very accentuating look on me, no?" He raised a flirtatious eyebrow. Elena couldn't help but think that in this moment, he was completely akin to vampire Damon. It was too adorable.

_I told you I was still cute,_ Elena heard Damon say.

_Shut up, _she replied, embarrassed.

_You know, Elena, you're such an awful liar. You know I'm still adorable._

_Damon. Though I'd love to bicker with you over your cuteness, I'm kind of in the middle of being with your better half. _

This hit Damon hard. He knew she was kidding, but that didn't lull the pain. It accentuated the difference between his human and vampire self even farther. And she chose his human side.

_Yeah, I know, _he said coldly.

_Damon, you know I was just kidding, right? I like you the way you are now! _But it was too late; Damon had already exited her mind….

**2010**

Stefan knocked on Caroline's door. He put his hands in his pockets, allowing his mind to wander, while he waited for the door to open. Stefan had messed up big time. He essentially killed his solid relationship with Elena, for Katherine; a girl who was a predictable as the weather. Had he made the right decision? No. In the moment, he couldn't help but say no. Stefan had torn his life apart once for Katherine, and it nearly destroyed him. And here he was, doing it yet again. Since he couldn't turn back time, he could only pray that it wouldn't cause him as much pain.

"Stefan," Caroline greeted, breaking the elder vampire from his thoughts. "What are you doing here?"

"Um, would you mind coming over to the Boarding House? It's kind of important," he replied. A nervous look passed over Caroline's perfect features.

"Sure," she said hesitantly. Stefan gave her a small smile, and then gestured with his head, for her to follow him. Caroline closed her front door, and then caught up to Stefan.

"Stefan," Caroline began, "what's going on? What happened? Is it Elena? I haven't seen her in a few days. Did something happen?" The teen bombarded Stefan with questions.

"Yes, it partially has to do with Elena. I'll explain everything once we get to the house," Stefan explained. Caroline nodded numbly. What could have happened to her friend? After everything that had happened the past year, Caroline figured anything was possible. All she knew was that she would do whatever it took to help out her best friend. Walking down the quiet street, Caroline couldn't help but think how perfect she and Stefan were together. She knew it was a love that could never be, though. Stefan was with Elena, and happily so. She, was off and on with Matt, and had growing feelings for Tyler Lockwood. Caroline Forbes should not be falling for Stefan Salvatore. Alas, it was all too true. She couldn't get enough of his striking green eyes, or his perfectly styled brown hair. He was a god, in her eyes; perfect in every way. She wanted him, oh so badly. But it was a forbidden love. To Caroline, this only increased her yearning. The adventure of being with a man she couldn't have was all too pleasing to Caroline. She wanted Stefan Salvatore almost as she wanted blood.

The two vampires made it to the Boarding House, and entered. They made their way to the parlor, where they were met with the bickering of five supernatural beings. It looked and sounded like a chaotic Italian get-together; like from the Godfather. Damon was arguing with Scotty over their names, Elijah was fighting with Katherine about Klaus, and Rose- poor Rose. She was yelling at all four of them to remember rule one of Team Awesome. It was as if she was the United Nations, which was attempting, and failing, to break apart a war between the countries of Damon, Scotty, Elijah, and Katherine.

"Guys," Stefan said loudly. All five of them went quiet and turned awkwardly to the two vampires standing at the doorframe. Caroline's face displayed a look of both shock and confusion.

"Stefan," she whispered, "why is Katherine here?" Her voice shook with fear. "And who are the other three?" She moved closer to Stefan.

"Ah, Miss Caroline," Elijah began, "how wonderful it is for you to join us. Please, take a seat. We will explain everything."

Caroline turned to Stefan for confirmation, and he gave it to her with a smile and nod. Caroline slowly took a seat in between Katherine and Rose.

"Well, where to begin?" Elijah said.

"I'll tell her," Damon said. When no one objected, he turned to Caroline and began, "Okay, Barbie, here's the situation. A few days ago, Elena went to Bonnie, asking her to take her back in time to my and Stefan's past. Bonnie agreed, and Elena wound up in 1861." Damon intentionally left out the details involving Elena finding his journal. It would pose too many questions from the young vampire. "I met up with Rose," he gestured to the woman sitting to Caroline's right. "While we were talking, Elijah," Damon gestured to the eldest vampire, "approached us with a deal. We help him kill Klaus, and he gets Elena out of 1861." Damon saw the confused look on the teen's face. "Klaus is the oldest vampire ever, really. He wants Elena because she is the doppelganger of Katherine, who he has a history with. Elijah used to be associated with him, but they had their differences. Anyways, we made a plan, and you're part of it." It wasn't a suggestion.

"How-how do I fit into any of this?" The girl raised a skeptical brow.

"Part of the plan is Katherine speaking of her 'love' for Klaus. You see, Klaus knows that the rest of us aren't his biggest fans, so she can't tell any of us. You, on the other hand, have no personal connection to the situation," Damon explained.

"Well, if Elena is involved, I sure as hell do have a personal connection to the matter!" Caroline glared at the elder Salvatore.

"Okay, Barbie, no need to get persnickety," Damon smirked.

"So, will you help us, Caroline?" Rose asked lightly. Caroline turned to face the vampire.

"I'll do anything to help Elena," she replied firmly.

"Brilliant," Katherine drawled. "So now I have to pretend to be friends with this," she looked at Caroline judgingly, "this sad excuse for a vampire?"

"Now, now, Katarina, be nice," Elijah warned. Katherine instantly shut up.

"Welcome to Team Awesome, Caroline," Damon said, and the others nodded.

**1861**

Oh shit. What had Elena done! She knew she pissed off vampire Damon, but she didn't quite know why. She had always said comments that jokingly dissed him, and it never seemed to bother him before. Damon seemed very touchy about the subject of his human self. She had no idea why. Sighing, she leaned her head on human Damon's shoulder. Slightly surprised by the movement, he stiffened. Soon though, he melted into her touch, and placed his head lightly on top of hers. Elena closed her eyes in content.

"Damon?" She whispered softly.

"Yes?" He replied in the same tone.

"Can I keep you?" She repeated his words from the other night. She knew that that would swiftly become their favorite saying to use. She quite enjoyed it; it had a sense of innocence to it. Elena needed that innocence. She needed its comfort. Elena felt Damon's low chuckle, and it made her hear flutter.

"For as long as you'll have me," he replied. Elena felt a blush creep across her cheeks as she smiled. This boy certainly was too much; he was wonderful. Yet, she couldn't fight the twinge of pain that shot through her heart. Yes, human Damon was wonderful; and she had to admit, she certainly was falling for him- hard. Yet, he still wasn't _her _Damon. That could only be fulfilled by one man- the vampire, Damon Salvatore- the broken, dark, mysterious, jaded, guarded, sarcastic, amazing, and _perfect, Damon_ Salvatore. Elena sighed, and snuggled deeper into Damon's shoulder.

_I'm sorry, Damon, _she thought sadly.

_I know you are, _came a velvety voice. Elena felt her heart stop.

_Damon! Oh thank god, you're here. I'm so, so sorry. You know I didn't mean it. _

As much as Damon would love to believe that, he just couldn't. A part of him couldn't let go of the fear that he was second resort behind Stefan. Make that third resort, actually, for he felt he was behind his human self, as well. Damon had never been first in anyone's heart, and he wasn't about to start believing that would be different. 146 plus years of being shoved away, he couldn't break his fear.

_Yeah, I know, Elena, _he lied. Content, Elena curled up and leaned her whole body against Damon.

Elena couldn't help but feel as if she was cheating on both Damons with the other. Elena was trying to have both wings and roots; it was tearing her in half. Dismissing the haunting thought, she said:

"Caroline seemed very nice."

"Yes, she is. You and she are very much alike."

"Oh? How is that?" She lifted her head to look up at him.

"Well, you are both very kind and sweet, both of you are such a pleasure to be around," he trailed off and leaned closer to Elena's face. Letting temptation and desire command her, Elena lifted her lips to meet his. The second their lips touched, Elena's heart burst. This, right here, underneath this Rosemary Pine, was the most memorable kiss of her life. She lifted her arm to his neck, and began to twirl his ebony hair around her finger. God, it was soft. She felt a hand lightly on her back. Sparks flew between the two. It was official- Elena was bewitched body and soul by Damon Salvatore. Damon finally broke the kiss, and they both breathed deeply. Elena's lips were slightly pink, as were Damon's.

"My god," she whispered, and touched her hand to her lips, lightly. A smile also broke out on Damon's face.

"I pray that was not too fast, Elena?" Damon asked. No. It certainly wasn't too early. Elena had been waiting for months to kiss Damon like she just did. This was perfect.

"No," she replied giddily, "this was not too soon." She provided a shy smile. This scene was magical. Underneath the warm Southern sun, below a magnificent pine tree, in an elegant dress, she had kissed the most wonderful man. Elena couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt. Yes, she did very much like human Damon, but she wished it had been _her_ Damon whom she had kissed. Again pushing the thought away, she leaned her head against Damon's should once more.

**2010**

Damon was enraged. He had seen the whole kiss. It was so disgustingly romantic, that the second they parted lips, he had to exit Elena's thoughts. This was worse than the last time he had been depressed Elena and his younger self. She had fucking kissed him. _She _kissed _him _first. Damon's face turned to stone, and his eyes to ice. He raked a hand through his hair shakily, attempting to keep composure. The seven of them were still in the living room, briefing Caroline on every detail on the plan and background of it. Damon placed his head in his hands and sighed. Elena had kissed his human self. The whole situation was very caustic. It taunted Damon. Damn 1861. Damn that pine tree. Damn the perfect moment. Damn the southern allure. Damn his seventeen year old self. Damn Elena….

~Alright, so there is chapter eleven. Hopefully, you enjoyed it? Tell me in a review! Haha. **Me and hopelessromantic549 have created a joint account where we will be posting one-shots and multiple chapter stories we have written together. Our penname is **_**FairyRomanticTVD. **_We are working on a one-shot right now, and brainstorming for a multi-chapter story, as well. So, subscribe to us, because we'll be posting many epic stories soon ;) **Also, I'm taking requests for one-shots!** So, if you have one, tell me it in your review or PM me! And I'll get it done as soon as I can

**Remember, reviews are love, people! ;)**


	12. Of Dreams and Blindfolds

_Damn Elena, _he cursed for the umpteenth time. How the hell was it that she could willingly kiss his younger self, yet backed away in fear the second he got too close? He knew why. Elena wasn't scared of his seventeen year old self. No, that naïve, innocent, _child_, was a saint. He, on the other hand, was damaged goods. He was broken and sharp, and Elena was afraid of getting cut. He knew this well. But somehow, he had to ease her past that fear of being slashed; because in the rough, always lies a diamond. The million dollar question, though, was how to go about accomplishing this. She knew his tricks; knew his quirks. She had a bias view of him. Stefan had crammed all of Damon's faults into Elena's head, and they seemed to be sticking there well. Damon had been on the verge of breaking the barrier, but then he had to go and snap Jeremy's neck, taking Damon back to stage one. Damon leaned back in his chair, pondering this. He was thankful the rest of the group had gone on what they called 'group hunting'. It was one of Rose's hopeless attempts at getting the team to work together.

Damon's mind began to digress through ideas of how to win Elena, until his mind felt like it was spinning out of control in a cyclical motion. Sighing deeply, he lulled the churning of scrambled ideas that swam in his head. Damon took a sip of his bourbon to clear his head; swipe the slate clean. Damon's mission was not an easy one: convince Elena that he was the right man for her. Not his brother and certainly not his seventeen year old self. How the hell was he going to do this when they were centuries apart? The only connection they had was through the mind. The mind. A mischievous smile spread across Damon's face. The mind was a very powerful thing. Yet, so gullible and so easy to reform. All one had to do was plant a seed, an idea, into the mind, and then watch as it grew and thrived. That was Damon's ticket to success, or at least progression. More specifically, dreams. Dreams have always been described as influential, whether subconscious or not. Damon rubbed his hands together naughtily. Tonight, Elena was going to have the experience of a lifetime…

**1861**

Elena's eyes fluttered open lazily when she felt a soft tap on her shoulder. She looked up, to see Damon glancing at her. The magnificent blue sky was swiftly shifting into the blackness of night. Elena displayed a look of confusion on her face.

"You fell asleep, Elena. I did not have the heart to wake you up." Damon gave a small smile.

"O-oh," she replied, taking her head off of his shoulder. She ran an embarrassed hand through her hair.

"I would venture to guess it is time to retire home. It was a very delightful day, Elena, and I pray we do it again soon," he smiled, and slowly began to get up. He clasped his hand around hers, and pulled her to her feet as well. Elena straightened out her dress, before looking back into Damon's cobalt eyes.

"It was a delightful day indeed. I too, hope we can do it again soon." She gave a small smile, as she bit her lip. Goddamn, was she falling for this boy hard. "Send Stefan my farewells, if you will. I am quite tired," again, she smiled.

"Of course, I will pass your goodbyes along. Have a wonderful night, Elena," he said, and kissed the hand he had been holding. Elena let a cute smile pass her lips. On the inside, though, all she could think of was when she had first met Damon and he had kissed her hand. It was a wonder to her, how everything somehow linked to a memory of Damon. He surely was a very addictive topic for her mind to digress to. The seventeen year old led Elena back to the house silently. It was a nice silence, though. The type of silence that transpires when one wishes to stroll down memory lane; and Damon and Elena's kiss certainly classified as a worthy memory to relive. All too soon, they reached the massive house. Sighing sadly, Elena turned to face Damon.

"Thank you for a wonderful time, Damon," she smiled, as she slowly began to climb the small stairs that led to the entrance.

"You're quite welcome. Until next time, Elena Gilbert." He gave a light bow, and headed for the carriage that was parked by the entrance. Elena lingered on the final step, just watching as Damon sped away into the night. She gave a satisfied sigh, accompanied by a smile, and walked through the door. Heading for the stairs, Elena couldn't suppress a yawn.

"Elena, you have had a very long day. You may go to sleep now, if you wish. Jonathan and I can eat alone," Florence smiled, catching Elena right before she made her way up the staircase.

"Thank you, Florence," Elena smiled gratefully. Florence nodded in return, saying that she would send up Lavi.

Elena slugged up the stairs slowly, out of exhaustion. It is quite amazing how a catnap in the sun can drain one's strength. Walking into her room, she noted that she had arrived before Lavi. Elena sat on her bed, and fell back onto it, placing the backs of her hands over her eyes. Her mind was whirling. How is it, that such a magical day could have an overlay of guilt? Elena knew not the answer. Hearing the creaking of the wooden floor, Elena removed her hands from her eyes, to see Lavi standing in the doorway.

"Is it okay, if I enter, Miss?" Lavi asked.

"Of course, of course," Elena replied, sitting up and gesturing with her hand for the girl to enter. Lavi gave a light curtsey of appreciation before entering the young Gilbert's room. Elena stood to allow Lavi to undress her. Tonight, the process seemed to take a millennium. Elena could not wait to crawl into bed, and just sleep. Finally, Lavi finished, and placed Elena's silk white nightgown over her.

"Thank you, Lavi," Elena said, before dismissing the young girl. Lavi gave a curtsey, and exited the room, closing the door behind her. Once the wooden door had shut, Elena let a sigh of relief escape her lips. Crawling into the large bed, she placed her head on the pillow, and was swiftly asleep.

_Elena found her wrists tied to the bedposts of a lavish bed. Looking down, she realized she was in a tight black blouse and a pair of dark skinny jeans. She had to admit, the outfit was quite cute. A sudden howl of the wind tore her from the inspection of her attire. Looking to the window, she realized how large it was. It was perfect for admiring the storm outside. The rain came so fast and hard, it appeared to be a fog or mist. It pattered on the roof with a constant tap, tap, and tap, as if the rain was trying to tattoo the roof. Thunder pounded so piercingly, Elena could feel it in her chest. Lightening struck like fireworks; bright and vibrant; illuminating the room completely. Staring out the window, Elena couldn't help but wonder why she was here, tied to a bed. Suddenly, Elena heard the turning of the door knob. Her heartbeat suddenly picked up frantically. Out of fear? Excitement? All seemed plausible. All Elena could focus on, was what was about to enter through that door. The door slid open gradually, only intensifying Elena's anticipation. Finally, the figure made its way fully through the door, shutting it behind him. The figure approached her slowly. Suddenly, a flash of lightening struck, illuminating the figure. Sharp blue eyes became electrified, as a much toned, bare-chested body became accentuated. Messy ebony hair shined. _

"_Damon," Elena breathed. Damon smirked in return, and continued his advancement on her. Elena could feel her heart beat even quicker, and felt her breath become hitched in her throat, as he made that final step to her. Damon was no more than an inch away from her. His breath smelled of peppermint, while his body radiated a musky pine scent. It was quite alluring. Elena felt the in between of her legs begin to throb. Fuck. She was turned on. Really turned on, she decided, when she felt herself become wet. Slowly, Damon reached a hand to her tussled hair, and began to spin a stand of it around his finger. Again, Elena's breath became hitched and she felt herself grow wetter. This was not going to be good. _

"_What are you doing?" Elena asked in a hushed voice, which was slightly panicked. He gave her a slight smirk. _

"_You don't play with gas, Elena, if you're not prepared to mess with fire," he said seductively, putting himself a smidge closer to her. _

"_Wh-what?" Elena choked. Her mind was not functioning. It kept short-circuiting every time Damon twirled his finger around her chocolate hair. _

"_Why would you flirt with the boy, Elena, when you can _do _the man?" he raised a flirtatious eyebrow. _

"_Damon," Elena warned. The point was moot, though, as Damon put his free hand on her lips. _

"_You played with gas, Elena. Ready to mess with fire?" He provided her with a smirk. Elena couldn't find her voice. Damn her short-circuiting brain. Damon unwound his finger slowly from her hair, subtlety tracing Elena's face and neck as he went. The sensation of his skin on hers, sent shockwaves down her spine, and she felt her panties grow wetter. With both hands free, Damon gradually began to unbutton Elena's black blouse. He unbuttoned each button almost harshly, letting it come open with a 'pop'. Elena felt her nipples begin to harden. Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck! She was almost melting in ecstasy. When he popped the button just below her breasts, he tauntingly traced a finger in between her breasts. The cold finger against her sweating skin, caused for a taunting tickle. She wanted more; and fast. He continued his journey down her torso, subtlety tickling the skin as he went. When he got to the last button, he took his careful time undoing it. He popped it open with one finger, while the other traced her lower stomach, sometimes tauntingly tracing over her hip bones. Elena's eyes rolled back in pleasure. Taking the blouse in both hands, Damon thrust it to either side, so her whole upper body was exposed. Her breasts were pointed and as hard as rocks, from the chill in the room, and Damon's taunting tickles. Her taut abs were clenched tight, anticipating Damon's next move. Starting at the waistline of her low-cut jeans, he walked two fingers up her torso. Elena's breathing became sporadic. She wanted more. She wanted him to touch her. Really touch her. Enough with this anticipation. _

"_Please," Elena pleadingly croaked. A smirk found its way onto Damon's lips. Keeping the two finger s in between her throbbing breasts, he slowly leaned into her. _

"_Please what?" He whispered seductively into her ear. His breath sent chills down Elena's spine, and she felt the hairs on the back of her neck perk up. _

"_Touch me," she mumbled. He replied with tracing his finger slowly down her torso, until he found his finger once more at the waistline of her jeans. _

"_As you wish," he whispered into her ear, before slowly kneeling to the ground. Elena's heart picked up pace, again, and she felt a steady throb begin to dwell in her womb. Couldn't he just touch her already? She felt hands touch her waist. Her breath hitched again in her throat. Yes. Yes. This was it. Damon slowly; agonizingly slowly, unbuttoned her jeans. When it popped, he traced a finger over the newly exposed area. Elena shivered at the contact. He was getting dangerously close to the area that had been desperate for his attention the second he had walked into the room. Allowing a year's worth of pent up feelings escape her, she grew wetter, and the constant throb grew stronger. Damon played with the zipper of her jeans for a moment. _

"_God dammit, Damon," she wheezed huskily. "Touch me!" she clenched her eyes together tightly. Damon let out a chuckle, and slowly unzipped the jeans. Walking his fingers up the sides of her legs, he shoved the tight jeans to her ankles. The swift motion had pulled down her underwear a smidge, revealing a midriff of pubic hair. When Damon removed his hands from her, she let out a whimper. She needed him; right now. Slowly, Damon stood and placed a chaste kiss on her lips. He was going to make her wait as long as possible. He bit the bottom of her lip seductively, before breaking contact. He returned to his kneeling position, and began to fiddle with the waistband of her undies. Elena's desperation was surfacing fully now. _

"_Touch. Me." she commanded harshly in a husky voice. Complying, Damon slipped his hand underneath her underwear. A pleased smile found its way on Elena's lips, as the much ignored area of her body, finally got the attention it had been craving. His finger hovered over her entrance momentarily, before moving on to her clit. He tickled it for a moment, allowing Elena some gratification. Elena's eyes fluttered shut in pleasure. Her legs were becoming weak, and her body was in utter pleasure. Not allowing Elena too much time to enjoy the sensation, he abandoned her clit. Elena let another whimper escape her. He could not stop there. Stiffening two fingers, he thrust them up her entrance. He began to move them rapidly. Shocks of pleasure filled Elena's body and she grew weak. He thrust faster, and her head rolled back in gratitude. Never, in her life, had Elena been done so well. What Damon had accomplished in just touching, others had not even done with full out sex. Moving his fingers even more rapidly, Elena felt herself so close to an orgasm. _

"_Yes," she mumbled. "Yes," this one came out as more of a cry. She was so close; so, so close. Suddenly, the pressure and rapid movement ceased. Damon removed his fingers from inside of her, and slipped them out of her panties. Tracing the two fingers, which had done the marvelous work on Elena, up her torso, he stood up. Elena's throbbing lower half would not hush. It was a constant reminder, of the almost orgasm she had. It taunted her; it was utterly torturous, but in such a heavenly way. _

"_Why did you stop?" She begged in a raspy mutter. _

"_Why?" Damon replied huskily, taking his taunting fingers from her body. "To show you."_

"_Show me?"_

"_Elena, this is what it's like when I'm around you. You taunt me, and tease me. You allow me so much hope, but stop the second before it becomes reality. This is what it feels like." _

_Elena could only reply with a shaky breath. _

"_Not only that. I did this to show you what you're missing out on. I took away the blindfold." _

_Elena still could not form words. Her body was still in recovery mode. _

"_But tell me something, Elena. Now that I've removed the blindfold, will you still choose to close your eyes?" Damon raised an eyebrow. Not allowing her to respond, he kissed her hard, while rubbing a hand over her panties. Biting her lip, he broke apart their lips. Clicking his tongue, he exited the room. _

_Elena was left there, tied to a bed, her shirt spread wide open, and her pants at her ankles. Her body was throbbing for one last touch, but it would never come. All she could do, was stare at the closed wooden door, and ponder Damon's words…_

Elena shot up in bed with a start. Her heart was racing, and she was drenched in a cold sweat. That pounding throb that had been so dominant in her dream was still there. Elena let out a shaky breath to calm her body. She couldn't stop replaying the dream in her head. In this moment, she thoroughly wished she was back in the present; that would mean, she could experience that dream for real with Damon. Suddenly, a knot formed in her stomach. She was still with Stefan. She shouldn't even be having these dreams or thoughts about Damon. Remembering what a horrid person fifteen year old Stefan had been, she allowed herself to momentarily forget about Stefan Salvatore. Reflecting back on what Damon had said, she couldn't help but wonder: now that he'd removed the blind, would she still choose to close her eyes? Elena didn't know the answer. All she knew, was the she desperately wanted to give it a try. If Damon was even half as good in real life as he had been in her dream that would be enough. In that moment, Elena Gilbert decided she would try to look at Damon with clear and open eyes.

**2010**

A smirk found its way onto Damon's face, as he lingered in her mind. She was willing to look at him clearly now. Who knew, all it took, was some dream touching?

~Okay, so that was chapter twelve. I know this chapter didn't have much content, but it's important to the story! This is the turning point of Delena. Also, **this was my first try at writing smut, so please don't kill me if it's awful! **I wanted to test out this type of writing for both this story and for "Always the Wicked" (which I will be updating very soon). Hopefully you enjoyed the smut? Oh god, I hope so! **Oh, and check out my new one-shot "All I've Ever Wanted"! **I would love your opinions on that (:

**Remember, reviews are love, people! ;) **


	13. Of Pressures and Futures

_Morning, Sleeping Beauty, sweet dreams? _Elena heard Damon's voice in her head. She couldn't keep her heart from racing. She tried not to let the images of her dream flow into her mind. A thought dawned on her suddenly.

_Damon did you- did you influence my dream last night? _It wasn't an improbable thought.

_Why do you ask? Was it hot? _He chuckled.

_I'm being serious. Did you or didn't you? _

_Fine, fine, fine, Ms. Kill Joy, I did. But your reactions were all your own. The only things I did were creating the setting and dictating my movements. _

_Damon! How could you! Moreover, why would you?_

_Didn't I make it clear? To 'remove the blindfold'; show you what you were missing. _True. He had made that very clear. Fuck.

_Oh, right. _Was the only reply she could come up with. _Does that mean you influenced my other dreams too?_

_What other dreams?_ He asked curiously.

_Well, I've had these dreams where I'm in the woods. You're there, and so is this other man. He's either chasing me, or torturing you, while I have to watch. Damon, is it you who's doing this? Because if it is, I'd love if you'd stop. The dreams aren't pleasant _

_No, _he replied softly, seeming to ponder something, _it wasn't me. _Before she could reply, he left her mind.

**2010**

"Elijah," Damon called. The elder vampire entered the study seconds later.

"Yes?" he asked, entering the room.

"We have a problem. A major problem, actually," Damon replied, leaning forward and resting his elbows on the tabletop.

"Oh?" The Original replied, raising an eyebrow.

"Someone's been influencing Elena's dreams, I think. She asked me if I was doing it, and I said no."

"What are these dreams about?" So far, Elijah wasn't very intrigued with the issue at hand.

"She says it always involves the same three characters: her, me, and some mystery guy. Elena said the man's either chasing her, or torturing me, while she has to watch." Damon stared at Elijah in anticipation. Was he just being paranoid?

"Oh no," Elijah said quietly. Damon supplied him with a curious look. "It's Klaus," the elder vampire continued.

"How do you- are you sure?" Nonchalant Damon had dissolved.

"Yes. Do you recall when I mentioned that Klaus and I had a falling out at the end of the 90's?"

"Yeah, I do."

"This is what it was about."

"Elena's dreams?" Damon wasn't following.

"No," Elijah returned flatly, "dream manipulation. You must understand: Originals have the power not only to influence dreams, but also to compel through them."

"How is that possible?" Damon shook his head.

"Once you influence a human's mind enough, its firewalls, if you will, begin to deteriorate. The fears of the dreams begin to overcome the person, allowing you control over them. At first an Original can only compel through nighttime dreams. But, if the vampire is powerful or clever enough, they can start to manipulate through daydreams. The next step, I'm sure you can guess, is total control. They can compel day or night; dreaming or not."

"Okay," Damon replied slowly. This was a lot to take in. "But, how did you and Klaus get into an argument over this?"

"I was opposed to the idea of using the dream manipulation. It was too cruel. You must understand, Damon, that as an Original progresses through the steps I told you about, the person being compelled, faces grave side effects. Dementia, insanity, massive headaches, paranoia… the list is a long one. Anyways, I hated the idea of using it. Klaus, though, wanted to use it to his full advantage. He wanted to use it to compel the human race to bow to him, as their leader."

"Ah, right; the whole stereotypical bad-guy-taking-over-world thing. "

"Indeed," Elijah deadpanned. "As I was saying, I couldn't agree to his plan. I told him that I'd rather lose the ability, before I ever took part in his plan. So, he did just that. You must understand: Klaus had, or has I suppose, a very powerful witch, Loretta."

"Powerful enough to strip a vampire of a power?" Damon raised a skeptical eyebrow.

"Yes, very much so," Elijah replied gravely. "That is only a small excerpt of her abilities. Not only can she tear a quality right away from a person, or a supernatural, she can also control weather, the tides of the ocean, she could even control the rotation of the earth, if she wanted to. And spells that could take multiple witches and warlocks, she can do easily by herself."

"Like breaking another witch's or warlock's spell or charm?"

Elijah nodded slowly.

"So, she could undo Bonnie's protection spell?"

"What spell would that be?" Elijah cocked his head to one side.

"When Bonnie sent Elena to the past, she set up a counter spell, so that when Elena came back to present day, the people in the past wouldn't remember she was ever there; the future would pan out just as it had."

"Yes, she could definitely break that."

"So, Loretta could change the entire future," Damon breathed. Again, Elijah nodded gravely.

"We need to get Elena out of there then. Before the past can be altered, and before Klaus can begin to overtake Elena," Damon said running a hand through his black hair. "Scotty," he then whispered. "Scotty!" he called. Elijah and Damon could hear shuffling from the living room. A minute or so later, Scotty appeared in the doorway.

"You rang?" He deadpanned.

"Scotty, we need a spell to get Elena out of 1861," Damon said, "like now."

"Hold your horses, mate. What's the sudden rush?"

"In short, Klaus is influencing Elena's dreams, and if he continues, it won't have a pretty ending. And his little witch has the power to basically alter the future."

"Loretta," Scotty replied.

"How do you know who she is," Damon asked.

"Every witch or warlock from Scotland knows the fables of Loretta; she is Scottish, you know," Scotty said, seeming very proud of that fact. "Her master is a vampire, Klaus, who turned her, so she could have eternal life, and her powers would be even stronger."

"When a vampire turns a witch they're stronger?" Damon asked. Both Scotty and Elijah nodded their heads.

"Not to dampen the already dull mood, but I have more bad news," Elijah said. Damon and Scotty looked at their elder. "I just remembered something. When Loretta took my power, she had the ability to give it over to someone else- Klaus. This will speed up the process of total control of Elena."

"By how much," Damon asked numbly.

"It will be two times faster, since he has both his power and mine."

"Shit," Damon said, while running a hand through his hair, and rising from his seat. "Whatever Klaus is planning is sure to be big. Why would he start this huge 'take over the world' thing, about ten years after you left?"

"Simple. Because of Elena; well, Katarina, really. Klaus wanted the first person he used his power on, to be Katarina's doppelganger. It would be sweet revenge, for the one girl who didn't succumb to him, be the one to trigger the epidemic of Klaus's plan: having the world succumb to him. But since Katarina was a vampire, he couldn't use her, so he settled for the next best thing."

"Elena," Damon mumbled numbly. Elijah gave a sympathetic nod. "So you think that Klaus will stop at nothing to have Elena be his first victim?"

"He wouldn't settle for anyone other than her," Elijah replied. Damon looked to Scotty.

"First thing we need to do," he said, "is get Elena out of 1861."

"Little problem," Scotty replied. Damon raised an eyebrow. "It's a hard spell to do alone," Scotty continued. "It isn't impossible, but one mistake and everything could be put in jeopardy. Messing with time travel spells is dangerous business."

"What if another witch helped you?" Damon inquired.

"The spell would be much easier and go smoother. Plus, the risk would be lower."

"Bonnie could help," Damon said.

"Indeed she could," Elijah agreed. "Yet another problem, though," Elijah sighed.

"What now," Damon deadpanned, as he began to pace.

"We've established that Klaus knows we all are opposed to him. None of us could get the witch."

"Caroline could," Damon reminded the Original. Elijah looked to Damon.

"Go fetch her, will you? We need to bring her up to date," Elijah said. Damon suppressed an eye-roll.

"I'll go get Barbie," he muttered, and headed out the door.

**1861**

"Brother," Stefan greeted, as the two brothers crossed paths in a vacant hallway of the Salvatore mansion.

"Stefan," Damon replied numbly.

"I have a brilliant idea, Damon. It is sure to win be Caroline," Stefan said with an evil smile. Damon supplied his brother with a blank look. He was very tired of hearing of Stefan's schemes.

"And what would that be," Damon deadpanned.

"Eliminate the competition," Stefan smirked. Damon stared at his brother.

"Do not be ridiculous, Stefan. You cannot kill Jameson."

"And why ever not?" Stefan cocked his head to the side.

"Not only is it morally unjust, but it is also the dumbest of ideas. Killing a _human being_? No." Damon shook his head. Damon knew Stefan would never go through with the plan; he never acted upon any of them.

"No need to get technical with me, brother. The plan is practically foolproof."

"Ah, is that so? Care sharing said plan?"

"Poisoned apple. Caroline would then come to me for support, and I will be there for her. She will then see that I am the one she desired all along."

"Right," Damon deadpanned. "Stefan, you are being utterly ridiculous. Enough of this nonsense," Damon replied, basically dismissing the comment. He then walked by his brother, and exited the hallway. Once his brother was a safe distance away, Stefan let a mischievous smile come over his face. His brother would do nothing to stop him, because he didn't even believe Stefan would go through with the plan. Little did he know….

**2010**

Caroline knocked on Bonnie's door nervously. Minutes ago, Elijah told her of the issue at hand, and now she couldn't stop shaking. Her friend was in danger of becoming a lunatic, the human race was at risk of being under the command of a psycho vampire, and all of history could be changed by a powerful witch, thus changing the future. Indeed, there was loads of pressure put on Caroline Forbes in this instant.

The door opened to reveal Bonnie. "Caroline. What are you doing here?" Bonnie looked at her friend curiously.

"I- come with me. Like right now. It's kinda- scratch that. Really important," Caroline replied. Seeing the look on Bonnie's face, she couldn't help but realize how akin the situation was to the one she had had with Stefan.

"Why?" Bonnie countered. Caroline shook her head frantically, her flawless flaxen waves, flowing in every which direction.

"No time. It will all be explained when we get there. Go get the Grimoire, quickly."

"Get where?" Bonnie asked. Caroline rolled her eyes.

"The Boarding House. Just go!" She said, shoving her friend into the house. Bonnie got the idea that this could be very serious, so did as she was told, and sped up the stairs. Caroline watched her friend go up, and then raked a hand through her hair, sighing deeply. Bonnie came down a moment or so later, with the Grimoire in hand.

"Wonderful," Caroline breathed, "now come on." She tugged at her friend's hand, and pulled her out the door. Once on the sidewalk, Caroline looked either way before speeding her and Bonnie to the House.

Once on the doorstep, the door flung open, revealing all of the members of Team Awesome.

"I take it you updated everyone on the Klaus thing, huh?" Caroline asked, as she looked at all the paralyzed faces in front of her.

"Look at that, Barbie becomes Sherlock," Damon said with a smirk.

"Rule number one, Damon," Rose reminded him for the umpteenth time. Damon muttered something to the extent of 'shut up'. The members then moved out of the doorway so Caroline and Bonnie could enter.

"What's going on here, Caroline?" Bonnie asked nervously, once everyone was in the parlor.

"Well, Klaus is influencing Elena's dreams, and it turns out Originals have the power to compel through dreams, after a certain process. And Klaus has a witch, Loretta, who is very powerful. She has the ability to even change the future; which is what we're worried about in this case. That over there," Caroline pointed, "is Scotty. He's a warlock. You and he are going to do a spell to bring Elena back. It's really important," Caroline finished.

"No pressure, or anything," Damon deadpanned. Bonnie gulped and held tighter to the Grimoire.

"Bonnie," Rose said, "whatever happens, you did your best, hmm?" When Bonnie let the breath she was holding finally go, Rose knew she had successfully steered Bonnie away from Damon's comment. It was true, though: there was immense pressure placed on Scotty and Bonnie's shoulders. The whole outcome of this plan, and the whole outcome of the world, really, was left in the hands of a young witch and warlock. What could go wrong, right?

~Okay, so there is chapter thirteen. I apologize if it was kind of boring. This chapter was very necessary, though. I figured I'd bored you enough with character development, and should start heading into the deep rising action. **For the following chapters, I'm open to suggestions for what should happen. **Right now, it's all up in the air. Another question: **Would you guys prefer a Caroline/Stefan paring, or a Caroline/Tyler? **I'm utterly torn, since I love both. Anyways, tell me your thoughts for both the paring and any ideas you have! :)

**Remember, reviews are love, people! ;)**


	14. Of Homecomings and Moments

Elena sat numbly in her room. Why had Damon left so suddenly? Was something wrong? The questions swirled in her head; it was making her mad. Slipping off the side of the bed, she began to pace back and forth across the room. Rubbing her hands over her face, she exhaled deeply. The suspense was killing her.

_Damon? _She asked.

_Elena,_ came his reply. It had no tint of sarcasm, no trace of taunt. It was purely and utterly bland.

_What the hell is going on? _First he left her, now he is acting monotone; something was definitely wrong.

_Elena, _he sighed, _it's difficult to explain, and I don't have to describe it anyway. All I want you to do is try to not sleep. _He paused. _Until we get you safely back home. _

_Y-you want me to not sleep? Damon, you have to give me something here. I'm totally in the dark about all of this. _She ran a hand through her hair.

_Speed version goes like this: it turns out Originals can compel through dreams, and Klaus is trying to do that to you. That's why I asked you to try to stay awake as long as you can. As we speak, Scotty and Bonnie are preparing a spell to bring you back to the present. _

_Wait. I'm still not following. I get the whole Originals can compel thing, but why do I have to come home? _

_It's a long story; one that I don't have time to tell through telepathy. Just- just try not to sleep or interact with anyone for right now. Can you do that for me? _

Hearing the seriousness of his voice, she couldn't help but comply. _Yeah, I can do that. _

_Thank you, _he replied. _I'll see you soon, Elena. _And with that he was gone. Deciding that she was probably going to be stuck here for a while, Elena walked back over to the bed and pulled Damon's journal from under it. Opening the old book, she turned to today's date: April 18th.

_18 April 1861_

_The evilest of evils occurred today. I feel sick to my stomach. Not only because of the pure cruelness of the situation, but due to the fact that I did nothing to stop it. Today, Stefan killed a man; Jameson, to be specific. I knew he had been incredibly jealous of Jameson's ever growing bond with Caroline, but I never thought he would resort to something as treacherous as murder. The part of the situation that kills me the most, though, is that he had told me of his plan. Last night, Stefan stopped me in the hallway, and told me his idiotic idea of poisoning an apple, that he would then give to Jameson to eat. Stefan has never been the industrious type, so I thought little of it. This afternoon when we hosted the Hales for brunch though, Jameson's father came to us, and informed us of his son's death. Though the news was utterly horrific, Caroline took it the hardest. The expression on her face when the melancholy words 'he is dead' were spoken, was utterly heartbreaking- Caroline's once flawless face lied in ruins for all to see. Caroline proceeded to inform us that she was in need of fresh air, and we all nodded our heads, giving her permission. When Caroline had not returned after over an hour, Mr. Hale excused himself to check on his grieving daughter. As the rest of the party waited for the two Hales to return, the anticipation was high. When the master of the Hale family finally returned to the group, he came alone. Streaks of tears were blatantly displayed on the man's face, and his skin was flushed. Once his emotions had finally calmed, he proceeded to regale the group with his findings. Sometime, in the hour that Caroline had been gone, she had hung herself. My father stupidly asked if she had lived through the act, and Mr. Hale shook his head slowly. So, today, two of the most splendid people ever to walk the streets of Mystic Falls died. It is all me and my brother's fault. The feeling of guilt is so massive, I feel as though I may actually drown in it. I have no doubt in my mind that today marks the changing of the Salvatore brothers…_

Elena clasped her hand over her mouth in complete shock. No, this must not be right! Stefan, her Stefan, killed a man. Elena's fucking boyfriend had the audacity to kill a man, and then never mention it to her. Her heart plummeted to her stomach, and she wrapped her arms around herself. This, she could not take. Elena felt her body begin to shake, and tears start to form in her eyes. She cried for Caroline; she cried for Jameson; she cried for Damon. She cried because of Stefan. Though the feeling felt oddly out of place, she couldn't help but feel that Stefan had betrayed her. Stefan Salvatore was a lying, deceitful, and evil specimen, she finally decided. Elena Gilbert could not stand Stefan; she hated him. Though it might be contradicting to hate Stefan for killing someone, since Damon had too, their situations were different. When Damon killed, it had been when he was a vampire; though that didn't compensate for what he did, it made the truth easier to accept. Stefan, though, Stefan had killed a human being when he was a fifteen year old human. That was pure wickedness. Elena fell back onto her bed, curling herself up into a ball. She was still trying to process everything she was just forced to intake.

**2010**

"Are you ready, Bonnie?" Scotty asked. The two supernaturals had just finished lighting the last set of candles. On the table, both Bonnie and Scotty's Grimoires were opened on the table. Bonnie was to read first, restating the Bennett time travel spell. That would then be Scotty's cue to enter with his portion of the spell. Since Scotty's family has a longer history than the Bennett family, his Grimoire held a spell for bringing one back to the present before the two week period had expired.

"Yes, I'm ready," Bonnie replied lightly, her voice wavering slightly. Scotty gave a nod, gesturing for her to begin. Bonnie nodded back, before closing her eyes and beginning to recite the spell. Just as it had done last time, the wind picked up in the room, and the candles flickered. A moment after Bonnie had finished her last sentence, Scotty picked up, in perfect rhythm. Chanting his ancient spell in Gaelic, he swiftly undid the Bennett time travel spell. The wind that had been swirling during the duration of Bonnie's spell, was slowly dying down as Scotty spoke. The words slipping so elegantly off his tongue were enchanting. All of Team Awesome was mesmerized by his language's beauty. Finishing his final sentence in a voice no louder than a whisper, the candles blew out with the last gust of wind. All eight members of the Team sat in tense anticipation. Elena would be arriving soon.

**1861**

Sometime when she had been curled up, Elena fell asleep. It wasn't until she felt an unusual chill in the room that she awoke. Her eyes fluttered open, to be met with a glow of colors. Shades of rose and lavender sprinted past her, as hues of sapphire and emerald sailed by leisurely. Although the scenery was quite magnificent, she couldn't help but wonder what in the world was going on. Moments later, Damon's words from this morning flooded into Elena's mind. He had told her he was going to bring her back to the present; and so he was. A gust of hot air suddenly hit her, and she was spat out of the tunnel of many colors. Closing her eyes, she waited for impact. Seconds felt like hours to her, and she couldn't wait until she was safely on the ground. As if fate had heard her plea, she fell into something; more specifically, someone. Getting up stiffly, Elena realized she was back to being in her jeans, T-shirt, and Converse. Never in her life, had she ever thought she would appreciate those three items as much as she did in this instant.

"That was some entrance there, Elena," Damon grumbled, while getting up from the floor.

"Oh, Damon, I'm sorry," she replied, covering her mouth to stifle her laugh.

"Mm, I'm sure you are," he replied, while cracking his neck. Elena rolled her eyes at him, and followed it with a chuckle.

"Elena," Stefan said, pulling her into a hug. "I'm so happy you're home safe," he continued, as he broke them apart, keeping his hands on her shoulders, to look at her.

"No," Elena said harshly, hitting his hands off her shoulders. "No," she said again. Stefan looked at his girlfriend in utter bewilderment.

"E-Elena, what's going on? What's wrong?" Stefan shook his head at her in utter confusion.

"What's wrong?" She crossed her arms before continuing. "What's wrong, is you! I've read Damon's journal, Stefan. More importantly, I know what happened with Caroline Hale. How the hell could you, Stefan? And you never told me about it. What the hell else are you keeping from me, huh?" Elena's eyes grew almost black in anger.

"Elena," Stefan pleaded, "I love you. Please don't do this." He reached for her hand, but she pulled it away from him before he could grasp it.

"Stefan, you loving me just isn't enough anymore. I- I don't even know how I feel about you now. You've kept so much from me, and lied to me. Stefan, I don't even know you."

"Elena," he said weakly, as tears formed in his eyes, "you do know me."

"No," she deadpanned in return, "I know the you that you want me to know. You're an absolute stranger, Stefan." She backed away from him slowly, standing next to Damon. Turning to him, she said, "Tell me what's going on, Damon."

Sighing, he started, "Well, you see, uh, as you know, Originals can compel through dreams. After they compel through them enough, they can start to compel through the mind whenever they want to. While you're sleeping and while you're awake; like Santa Claus," he stopped for dramatic effect. When he got the few chuckles he had been waiting for, he continued on. "Obviously, this isn't a good thing. Plus the side effects of mind/dream compelling are some nasty bitches. Paranoia, dementia, insanitary, massive headaches… you get the idea. This power that Originals have is a very bad thing for you. Klaus plans on using it, we think, to take over the world." When Elena raised a skeptical eyebrow, Damon said, "An overused plan, I grant you, but there it is. As I was saying, the first person he wants to use the ability on is you; it's revenge for Katherine ditching him all those centuries ago. You know the whole symbolic 'you'll bow to me now' type thing."

"Yeah, I got it," Elena replied numbly. This was so much to take in. First Stefan, and now this.

"Well, the situation gets worse. Klaus has a very powerful witch on his side named Loretta. She can do some pretty intense shit."

"Damon," Scotty piped in, "there's a part of the Loretta tale that I forgot to mention."

"What now," Damon replied tiredly.

"Loretta also has the power of mind torture. It's not like the spell we use to cause vampire's pain. This is something different; and much worse. The pain she causes is one hundred times worse, and she can cast it from anywhere in the world. She could be in Tokyo, and torture someone all the way in New York."

"So you're saying she could torture any one of us, at any second?" Damon inquired.

"That's what I'm saying," he replied grimly. "Oh, and she can still possibly change the past. Even though we got Elena safely out of 1861, the spell Bonnie set up is still in use."

"So she could break it at any point," Stefan said blandly. Scotty nodded his head sadly.

"Well," Damon said, clapping his hands together, "that's just peachy."

"It seems as if we have to begin putting the plan into action, then," Elijah stated. The rest of the Team nodded slowly in agreement.

"I'm going to go upstairs and take a shower," Elena said, before turning to the stairs. Almost exactly as she hit the step, she fell to the ground grasping her head with both hands. She yelped in pain, and began writhing on the stair.

"Oh my god," Caroline muttered, and sped over to her friend. The attention was turned from Elena when they heard a thud. Everyone turned to find Damon also grasping his head, and holding back a yell.

"Is the torturing both of them?" Stefan asked frantically.

"No," Scotty muttered in return, "that's impossible."

"Then what are you suggesting? That Klaus has another witch like Loretta?" Stefan began to pace back and forth, raking a hand through his hair.

"Destiny," Bonnie muttered.

"Destiny?" Stefan asked, confused.

"Yes. When Damon told me that he could speak to Elena through telepathy, I told him that could only happen if two people had a destiny together. It just dawned on me, that another aspect of this bond is that they feel each other's pain."

"You mean that if Damon got shot, Elena would be able to feel the wound as well?" Stefan asked.

"Yeah, that's what I'm saying. But the part that's disturbing is that this aspect of a destiny is only triggered when someone casts a spell. Like the spell Lucy cast on Elena and Katherine the night of the masquerade. The reason her spell worked, was because Elena and Katherine are blood related and have a bond/destiny."

"Wait. So if I'm understanding you correctly, since Damon and Elena have a- a destiny," he spit out bitterly, "a witch or warlock could trigger the part of the bond that allows them to feel each other's pain."

"Precisely," Bonnie replied.

"That makes logical sense," Elijah chimed in. "Loretta could kill two birds with one stone. Knock Elena out of the offensive line by torturing her, and that also knocks out Damon too. Or, vice versa."

"Uh, guys?" Caroline piped in, "as much as I'm glad you're figuring all of this out, we have two friends and teammates who are literally going through hell right now. Maybe want to give me a hand in carrying them up to beds where it would be more comfortable?"

Stefan replied to Caroline's request with a nod, and picked up the writhing Elena and began to carry her up the stairs. Sighing, Caroline picked up the thrashing Damon, and followed Stefan up the stairs.

"Should we put them in Damon's room?" Caroline asked.

"No, my room is closer, so we'll just put them there," Stefan replied, going a little farther down the hall, and then kicking a door open, which Caroline assumed was Stefan's room. By the time Damon and Elena had been placed on the bed, their pain had lulled, and they were knocked out.

"Wow, the pain must have been horrific, for them to pass out, huh?" Caroline muttered to Stefan as the duo made their way down the hall.

"Yeah, I'd imagine it was hell," Stefan said distantly. Caroline exhaled deeply, and stepped in front of Stefan, keeping him from advancing to the stairs.

"Look, Stefan, I know you're upset about Elena. But you have to let it go. Not only because you need to give Elena space, but because you need to focus on the mission at hand. This isn't just some little issue that solely affects Mystic Falls. If we don't succeed, Stefan, we let down the _world._ So, I know this is going to sound harsh, and I'm sorry for that, but you have to buck up, and just deal. Okay?"

Stefan sighed. "Yeah, you're completely right, Caroline. I won't let my relationship with Elena interfere with the mission."

Satisfied with Stefan's response, Caroline stepped out of his way, and the two vampires made their way down the stairs and joined the rest of Team Awesome.

"How are they," Rose asked when they entered the room.

"They're passed out right now. Apparently the pain was that awful."

"My god," Rose whispered, "what have we gotten ourselves into…"

Meanwhile, back in Stefan's room, Elena was beginning to stir awake. Rubbing her eyes she sat up slowly in bed. Her head throbbed like it had just gotten a boulder hurled at it. Groggily turning her head to the right, she saw Damon lying beside her, out cold. The logical thoughts of 'what are we doing in Stefan's room?' and 'why is Damon knocked out?' or 'why does my head hurt like hell?" never crossed her mind. All she could focus on was the godlike man next to her. Damon looked so tranquil, lying on the bed. His jaw was relaxed, his eyebrows not scrunched, and his breathing slow and steady. He looked innocent; cute; harmless. A warm smile grew on Elena's face at the sight before her. Slowly reaching her hand to his face, she traced his cheekbones, his jaw line, and his lips with the side of her hand. Moving her way slowly up his face, she reached his hairline, and slowly racked her hands through his jet black hair. It was perfectly conditioned, and soft on Elena's skin. His hair tickled her fingers as she went, and she felt shivers run down her spine. This felt completely different from when she had run her fingers through human Damon's hair. It wasn't the obvious reasons, like the different hair products in 1861 and 2010. No, this was something entirely different. It was the feeling Elena got, when she touched vampire Damon opposed to human Damon. She felt warmer inside; her heart fluttered faster; her blush was redder when she touched vampire Damon. Removing her fingers from his luscious locks, she sat cross-legged, and stared at him, pondering why it was such a different experience touching him. Cocking her head to the side, Elena decided it was because she loved him. He was the first person she ever genuinely hated; he was the first person ever to redeem himself enough to earn her affections back. He, Damon Salvatore, was the first person to ever fully capture her heart, body, and soul.

Leaning down slowly, she kissed him softly on the lips…

~Howdy, folks! So there is chapter fourteen! I know, I know, another one filled with information. Hopefully I didn't bore you too much! **Form this point forward I'd be prepared for much, much more Delena… yay! **And after tallying up all of your votes, and debating which would work better for the story, **Taroline won. But, for all you Staroline fans out there (such as myself LOL) I have a new one-shot posted called "It Is Me After All"! So, check it out and review! **

**Remember, reviews are love, people! ;) **


	15. Of Schemes and Confessions

His lips felt sensational on hers. The way his soft skin tickled her lips, was magnificent. Elena couldn't help but compare the two Damons' kisses. When she had kissed Damon in 1861, though the kiss was splendid, it felt wrong; slightly off. But, brushing her lips over his in 2010 was a totally different experience. It felt wonderful; it felt right; it felt like home. Retracting her lips from his, she looked down one last time at him, sighing. He truly was beautiful, she decided, while gazing at him. Curling up next to the vampire and laying her head on his shoulder, she let a content smile cross her face.

"You know, something Elena, as much as I love waking up to a girl kissing me, a five second warning would've been splendid," Damon muttered, waking up. Elena felt his voice vibrate on her head, and she could feel her heartbeat increase rapidly. It was safe to say Elena was entranced by Damon Salvatore.

"I- uh, you um, you were uh, awake when- when I did that?" she stuttered, when his words had finally sunk in.

"Elena, you don't have to be so shy about it. It's not like you haven't kissed me before," he taunted with a wink.

"Kissed you before? What are you talk- wait. You mean in 1861? How did you know about that?" Elena removed her head from his shoulder, and sat up, crossing her legs.

"That awesome little thing called telepathy. I could read your thoughts and see what was going on, without you noticing. Pretty sneaky, huh?" He asked, while sitting up in bed also.

"Damon," she began warningly, but then stopped. "Ugh. I really wish I could be mad at you; but I can't," she muttered, dropping her eyes to her knees. Damon was taken aback by her comment. Had she really just said those words to him? He simply stared at her, utterly speechless.

"Why can't you be mad?" He cocked his head before continuing, "Because you want to hold me, you want to hug me, you want to kiss me," he taunted in a singsong like voice.

"It's because I love you goddamn it!" She said forcefully. The second the words left her lips, she felt her chest constrict. There goes her idiot heart, speaking before her brain could say 'shut the hell up'.

"You- you love me?" He asked it so lightly. He said it like a child would, when they asked astounded, if the kid next to them would really lend them their yellow crayon. Elena bit back the smile crawling onto her lips. The way his blue eyes glistened like a little boy's, and how he looked at her with such delicacy; she felt like that cherished yellow crayon.

"Yeah," she whispered as the smile broke out on her face, "I do." After the words binding her to the reality of actually loving him were spoken, she wrapped her arms around herself, in self consciousness. At her movement, Damon couldn't help but chuckle.

"Elena," he said, putting his arms lightly on her shoulders, "you have nothing to be afraid of. You'd have to be blind to not see that I love you back."

"Yeah, I know that," she said with a smile.

"So, Elena, tell me something: can I keep you?" He let a brilliant smile cross over his perfectly structured face.

"Well, if you keep smiling like that, I'll have no other choice but to keep you."

"I'll take that as a yes, then," he muttered, before leaning in, and closing the distance between their lips. Elena surrendered to the kiss immediately. Wrapping her arms around his upper back, she lifted her right arm up farther, and began to fiddle with his hair, twirling it lazily around her finger. Damon shivered at the contact. Returning the favor, he began to lightly trace his pointer finger along her shoulder and upper arm. The tickles sent shivers down Elena's spine, and she deepened the kiss even further. When breathing finally became an issue for the human, she broke the kiss. She touched her lips lightly, with a smile on her face.

"That was amazing," she whispered, still mystified by how perfect that kiss was.

"It was," he agreed. "Tell me something though, Elena. Where does this leave us?" He looked at her seriously. Damon's wall was back up. He thought she was going to leave him. The thought made Elena's heart sink.

"Where does this leave us?" She paused momentarily. "It leaves us, right where we are; together."

"Are you meaning to tell me that-"

"Yeah, I'm breaking up with Stefan," she confirmed softly. Placing one of the hands he had taken from her shoulders after their kiss broke onto her cheek, he asked:

"Elena, are you sure? Not saying I'm supporting the idea of you staying with him, but it's a big decision." He began to stroke her cheek softly. Placing her hand over top of his, she said:

"Damon, I'm so sick and tired of being paranoid that I'm like Katherine. You know, being with Stefan, but loving you too. So, this is my choice; I'm making the one Katherine never could. And Damon, I choose you; hands down." She brought both of their hands from her cheek, and placed them in the space between them, still grasping his tightly. "You've always been there for me, Damon. No matter what I did, wrong or hurtful, you were always there. Loyalty is a very noble trait to have, Damon. I can't say the same for Stefan, though. Yes, I must admit, he is loyal; but he is faithful to lies, secrets, and lost causes, like Katherine. Never truly me, though. You, on the other hand, are the most trustworthy and loyal person I know. Granted, that wasn't the truth when we first met, but it sure as hell is now. Damon, I love you."

"I love you too. I wish I could supply you with a heartfelt speech describing why, but I don't have one. All I can give you is my promise that I'll be here for you; through everything, and no matter what. It's as simple as that. I intend to keep you," he finished with a smile.

"I'll enjoy being kept," she replied, placing a chaste kiss on his lips.

"You're so cheesy Elena. 'I'll enjoy being kept'? That's so cliché."

"Mm," she muttered, blessing him with another kiss. "I need to go talk to Stefan," she stated blandly.

"Yeah, you do," he nodded in sympathetic agreement. "Good luck. Try not to break the news to him too harshly," Damon teased. "Oh, and when you're down there, could you ask someone what the hell happened to us?"

"I'll be sure to ask around," Elena replied with a chuckle. She placed a light kiss on his cheek, before saying, "I'll be back."

"You go, Terminator," Damon teased as Elena walked out of the room.

* * *

Walking down the stairs, Elena could feel her body tighten. She was really going through with this. While relief flooded her body, she couldn't hinder the slight twinge of guilt that swirled in the pit of her stomach. Making her way to the end of the stair case and glancing into the living room, she was relieved to see Stefan sitting on the couch alone.

"Stefan," she addressed, knocking lightly on the wall. Stefan turned to face her.

"Come in," he replied. His emotions were completely bland to Elena. It slightly unnerved her, that she couldn't detect Stefan's feelings. Slowly making her way into the room, she paused awkwardly midway to Stefan.

"Look, we need to talk. We both know that what you did cannot be forgiven. But, I need you to answer something for me, before we go on any further, and I need you to answer me honestly." She paused. "What else are you hiding from me, Stefan?" She crossed her arms, waiting for his response. Stefan stiffened slightly, getting up from his seat on the couch. If this had been any other day or situation, he would have replied with a nonchalant 'nothing'. But, this wasn't just any day or situation; his relationship with Elena was on the line.

"Wh-when I was in the tomb, Katherine and I, we- we spent a night together," he answered, looking away from her.

"You mean to tell me that you- you had _sex _with her?" Elena tightened her crossed arms, and her eyes widened slightly. Stefan simply replied to her accusation with a weak nod. "What the hell was going through your mind when you were doing that? Certainly not your relationship with me," she continued harshly.

"I know, I know, Elena. It was dumb."

"You say it was dumb; but that doesn't mean you feel guilty about it."

"Of course I feel guilty about it, Elena. I love you," he pleaded.

"Is that so," she deadpanned. "Who am I, to you, then?" She asked. Again, Stefan felt himself stiffen. He knew very well that Katherine was listening to this conversation from the other side of the wall. So, this was Stefan's moment of judgment: please Elena, or please Katherine?

"Katherine," he replied softly. The word had slipped out of his mouth before he even had time to decide which girl he was going to please. Stefan was almost positive that the answer he just gave Elena wasn't even on the list of answers to her question.

"What?" She bit out. "This, I cannot take." Her eyes glazed over with utter hatred for the man in front of her.

"Elena, no. That's not what I meant," he replied quickly.

"Oh?" She replied blandly. "Stefan, I think that's the most honest you've ever been with me. I am Katherine to you; and that, is a sad fact."

Stefan could feel the tears welling up in his eyes; he knew what was coming. "Elena, please don't do this," he begged.

"Stefan it's over; you know it has to be over. I-I don't love you anymore."

"Oh. And who do you love? Damon?" The words came out harsher than he had intended them to be.

"Yes, I do love Damon. Because he, unlike you, loves me for me; not for being the reflection of an old flame." With that, she turned on her heel, and walked out of the room. Stefan stared at her retreating body, utterly numb.

"Bravo, Stefan, you officially ruined all chances with Elena," Katherine's cold voice came from behind him.

"Katherine," he replied tiredly.

"Look, you want to get back at her for this, right?" She raised an eyebrow.

"What? Get back at her?" Stefan cocked his head to the side.

"Yes," she deadpanned. "Follow me," she said, grabbing him by the forearm, and pulling him towards the front door.

"Katherine, where are we going?"

"Can you just shut up for two minutes?" She replied, grinding her teeth. Stefan complied with her demand, and remained quiet as she led him out the door, and to the edge of the woods.

"The woods?" He questioned.

"We needed some place where _they _couldn't hear us. Now, listen to me, Stefan. You want to get revenge on Elena. She dumped you; ruined your life. _She deserves it._" Her words were like poison; and Stefan was drinking all of it.

"You're right," he replied. At this, Katherine gave a malevolent smirk.

"Want to know the sweetest type of revenge?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Yes," Stefan whispered in return, utterly mesmerized.

"Changing what team you're on. Think about it, Stefan. We join Klaus, and not only are we on the side that's ten times more likely to win the battle that's inevitably coming up, but Elena also gets what she deserves: getting her life ruined. Do you want Elena Gilbert, _your _Elena, to be happily in love with Damon?" She paused for effect. "No, of course not. Join Klaus, and you'll help solidify that that doesn't happen. You hurt Elena, to get back at her for leaving you, but the second Elena is hurt, you also crush Damon. Finally, oh, finally Stefan Salvatore, you can bring your brother the long awaited karma he deserves."

Stefan nodded his head vigorously. "Yes, yes, you're so right, Katherine." With that comment, he pulled her to him, and kissed her on the lips. "You're brilliant," he continued. Katherine gave him a conniving smile in return.

"There's one thing you have to do, though, before this can work. Klaus does not take well to vampires who deny who they truly are. That includes vampires who choose to feed on animal blood. Stefan, you need to go back onto human blood."

"K-Katherine, I'm not stable on human blood," he said tentatively.

"Well, we'll just have to train you then, won't we?" She questioned raising an eyebrow. "Follow me," she then commanded, and led him deep into the woods, under an ever growing darker sky.

"Stefan Salvatore," Katherine continued, "soon, your dear brother won't know what hit him…"

~Hello, all! So there is chapter fifteen! I apologize for it being so short. Next chapter, though, I promise will be longer, have more action, and will have much more Delena. **I'm still open for your suggestions on where this story should go! **Please, don't hesitate to PM me. I'd love to hear your ideas. That being said, **I wanted to say thank you. **Wow, 300 plus reviews? You guys are simply amazing! So, keep up the wonderful reviews, and PM me your ideas (:

**Remember, reviews are love, people! ;)**


	16. Of Guidance and Home

"K-Katherine, wait," Stefan spoke up lightly. Her words 'your dear brother won't know what hit him', made Stefan sick to the stomach.

"What," Katherine replied blandly.

"W-well, um, can we wait to do this whole human blood thing?" Stefan dropped his head slightly, anticipating her answer.

"Wait?" she replied sharply, whipping around to stand in front of the younger vampire, "what do you mean, 'wait'." Katherine's glare seemed lethal, and Stefan was feeling the full effect of her toxic eyes.

"Well, I just mean, won't it seem suspicious if we leave together, and I come back, all wired and well, not myself? Because I can assure you, Katherine, that that's what I'll be like after drinking human blood."

"Fine," Katherine finally gave in after a long pause, "but tomorrow, no excuses. We're doing this." Her words were no friendly suggestion; they were the commands of a cold and calculating opportunist.

"Thank you," Stefan said in a light voice, but filled with both sincerity and relief. Katherine only replied with a curt nod, and shoved her way past the younger vampire, and headed towards the Boarding House. Tuning around slowly, Stefan watched Katherine's quick retreating form. _What have I gotten myself into? _He asked himself. The answer sadly, was a very twisted one; one that would force Stefan to delve into feelings and emotions he did not wish to conjure up. Rubbing a hand over his suddenly tired face, he sighed deeply. _We must live with our decisions, I guess, _he thought dejectedly. Removing his hand from his face, he was met with Elijah.

"You know something, Stefan; I've done some terrible things in my lifetime, but nothing like what you just did. Do you have any idea what you've just done?" Elijah looked at Stefan, shaking his head slowly.

"No- no, sir," the youngest Salvatore muttered in reply. If Stefan had been human, his heart would be pounding out of his ribcage.

"You've sold your soul to the devil, Stefan. You may see good in Katarina; I see it too, sometimes. But Stefan, she will only tear you apart. Shake your head at me, tell me I'm wrong. But just remember: she broke your heart before; your family, your relationship with your brother; she broke _you. _You're sadly mistaken, Stefan if you think she won't do it again."

"Elijah," Stefan choked out, "I- I don't know what I've done."

"Look, this isn't kindergarten; I can't fix your 'boo boo'. All I can give you, boy, is advice."

"Please, anything. Just- just how can I fix this? I was just so caught up in the moment. Elena breaking up with me, and for my _brother_; I just couldn't take it, you know? Then Katherine came to me with a solution to my problems, and I jumped into it before I could look down to see the spikes at the bottom."

"That, Stefan, is the idiocy of the human heart; it reacts quickly. What's worse is that it doesn't disappear once you become a vampire. Want to know a secret, Stefan? A vampire can never turn off their humanity. The 'off switch' is simply a placebo effect. If one thinks they can turn off their humanity, they in turn, 'don't feel anymore'. It would be like if you gave a man a painkiller which was really a sugar tablet; they'd claim the headache was gone, because they think they took medicine to lull the pain." Elijah paused, pondering his next words carefully. "What's done is done," he continued. "All you can do now is shave down the severity of your mistake. Because truly, Stefan, what you just did, is a disappointing mistake. I am not saying I and the rest of the Team will never forgive you. All I am implying is that we- I, expected more from you." He looked at Stefan with eyes that seemed to stare right into the young Salvatore's soul.

"I know. It was a stupid mistake. I realize that I've been saying that a lot recently, but it's true; I just haven't been thinking clearly, I suppose. I only see my actions as they are in the present moment; I don't look ahead to the aftermath. So please Elijah, how can I begin to fix this situation with Katherine?"

"You do nothing. You continue on with her plan," came the elder vampire's answer.

"Wh-what?" Stefan stuttered. The vampire was sounding like a crazy old coot.

"Perplexing, is it not? But it actually makes perfect sense. Even though you double crossing us with Katarina is a stupid, pathetic, and selfish thing to do, it holds some value to the Team's success."

"How's that?" Stefan inquired curiously.

"Now that you have come to realize your mistake, you can take your mistake and better our cause. In turn, this will fix your situation. You go along with Katherine's plan like nothing has changed, but you report everything that transpires in the plan back to us. That way, we can stay one step ahead of Klaus."

"So, basically, you want me to be a double-double crosser. How is that going to work, without Katherine, or worse, Klaus finding out?"

"That, dear boy, rests in your ability to act, and how furtive you can be. If I know Katarina, she will train you to feed off of human blood, and then present the two of you to Klaus, saying you'll be his humble servants and spies. Since Klaus is more than desperate to get Elena, he'll more than likely accept your words. This is the time where you must become even more alert. When you and Katarina come to the House to spy, tell Katarina that you will stay a bit after, as to not look suspicious and to get private information about the Team's plan from your brother."

"Though the plan is almost foolproof, what information are you going to tell us? Because it certainly wouldn't benefit the Team if you give Katherine and I the right information."

"Good; I've got you thinking. You're right, though; we won't be telling you the right information. When you and Katarina go out to feed tomorrow, I will inform the Team of Katarina's disloyalty and of the plan I have just told you. This time when you two are out, we will also formulate our false information. Stefan, there is no need to be paranoid; the plan will succeed."

"I trust you, Elijah," Stefan said, taking a step closer to the elder vampire. "I also wanted to thank you for your advice about life. I really needed a wakeup call and guidance, and you've given me both; so, thank you," Stefan finished with a smile, and lightly stepped by Elijah, and made his way back to the Boarding House. Life was finally turning around for the youngest Salvatore.

* * *

Elena leaned against the wall next to the stairs. Sliding down it, she wrapped her arms around her knees, and placed her head on her upper quads. Elena's mind was swirling at one hundred miles per hour. In one day, she had gone from dating the cautious and gray brother, to the reckless and vibrant one. A small smile found its way on her lips, but she couldn't shake the pestering guilt swirling in her veins. Closing her eyes, she pictured the look of utter defeat and pain that had crossed Stefan's face when she had told him it was over. When she remembered what he had told her about him and Katherine, though, the image soon vacated from her mind.

"The sulking look isn't the most flattering on you, Elena," she heard Damon joke. She looked up at him, gazing into his alluring cobalt eyes. They were mesmerizing; everything Damon had ever seen in his long life, were locked in those dreamy sapphire eyes. Every scenery he had laid eyes upon, every man he had ever watched die, every woman he had ever gazed upon; but right now, the only thing those wise cerulean orbs were staring at, was her. This observation was quite thrilling to Elena. Of all the people Damon could have, he chose her.

"Well, that would be true, if I was sulking; but I'm not." She gave him a brilliant smile, exposing her perfectly straight white teeth.

"Mm, well, then, Ms. Gilbert, what are you, then?" Damon raised an eyebrow which was tagging along with the smile growing on his face, as he slid down the wall next to her.

"Happy, thrilled, excited, joyful…" she railed off, as she sighed contently, lying her head on Damon's strong shoulder. Letting a small chuckle pass over his lips, he kissed the top of her head.

"Well, I'd hold on to those feelings as long as possible; you and me both."

Shifting her eyes to look at him once more, she asked, "Why do you say that so- downheartedly?"

"I'm sorry," he sighed, "it's just that- I don't know what's going to happen with the Klaus situation, and I want to make each second we have together count. Because in all honesty, Elena, I'm scared. I'm scared for my brother, I'm scared for Rose- everyone. But most importantly, I'm scared to lose _you,_" he said quietly, resting his head on hers.

"Damon," Elena replied quietly, "no matter what happens, I'll always be with you, and you'll always be with me. We're Elena and Damon; Damon and Elena. We're connected- always. But let's not think on the dark side. We have just as much of a chance to live through this, as we do to not. So, can we look at the glass half full? For both my sanity and our happiness? If these days are our last, I want to be spending them free and happy; not with the burdening fear of losing you to this fight."

"I agree; and I wish it were that easy for me. But, I've lost so many people in my life, and I'm paranoid that I may lose you too. Do you know how hellish that paranoia is?" Damon shook his head sadly.

"I know the feeling, Damon. I have the same fear. If I lose you, it would be as if I lost the sun. You can say that's cheesy, but it's the truth." She paused, trying to wrap her head around her frenzied thoughts. Her heart felt as if it was being wrung out, dripping paranoia and pain all down her body. Her arms were shaky, her legs were weak. All she wanted was for Damon to be with her; forever.

"Damon," she began softly, trying to keep back the tears, "just hold me." Damon complied without a second thought, and pulled Elena closer to him, wrapping both arms around her fragile body. He placed a chaste kiss on her the top of her head, before beginning to stroke her long dark hair. Elena snuggled closer into Damon's chest. To her, this was all she needed. Here, in Damon's strong arms, was all she ever needed; this was home to her. He was a place of warmth and joy; safety and security.

"Damon," she whispered, "How would you determine when you've found your soul mate?"

The question caught Damon off guard. He had never really thought about soul mates. "Well," he began slowly, "I suppose it is when you have completely let the other person into your life, despite their cuts, bruises, and imperfections. The ability to do that makes them your soul mate. Because when you let someone fully into your life like that, not only does your mind and heart have to accept them, but so does your soul. That probably sounds insane, but that's the best I've got at the moment. I've never really had a reason to think about soul mates," he finished with a shrug.

"No, no, I agree. But along with accepting them fully into your life, I think it has to do with how secure you feel around them. To me, you know you've found your soul mate, when you've realized they're your home. People always say home is where the heart is, and if your heart lies with another person, then they are your home." Elena looked up at Damon. "And Damon, you're my home."

Damon replied with a brilliant smile, and a 'and you're mine', before kissing her on the lips. Pulling away, he chuckled, "We sound like such sappy romantics."

"Yeah, but that's the fun part! We get to be completely ridiculous, and neither of us mind."

"Ah, yes, the joys of young love," he replied with a smile. "You know something Elena; I think we've put Nicholas Sparks' romances to shame."

"Mm," she muttered, snuggling deeper into her lover's chest.

_~You're my castle; you're my cabin, and my instant pleasure dome. I need you in my house, 'cause you're my home. ~_

~Okay, so there's chapter sixteen! **I'm so, so sorry it's kind of short! **School has been kicking my ass, and I've had no time to write! **I didn't want to leave you guys hanging too long, though, so consider this a filler chapter. **So, did you guys like how I made Stefan a little more redeemable in this chapter? **I'd love to know your ideas for what Stefan's fate should be. Also, your ideas for future chapters! **

**Remember, reviews are love, people! ;)**


	17. Of Games and Late Night Talks

Nighttime swiftly crept up on Mystic Falls, enveloping it fully in blackness. The Team was gathered in the living room of the Boarding House, playing a game of 'Never Have I Ever'. This was another one of Rose's attempts at bringing the team closer together. A majority of the participants had moaned and complained, but Elijah thought it would be a good exercise for the team, and he had the final say in the matter.

"Never have I ever," Rose began, "gone bungee jumping." At her words, Damon and Scotty knocked back their shots of liquor, indicating they had indeed gone jumping.

"You guys would," Caroline joked. Scotty gave her a joking glare, and shortly after, supplied her with a smile.

"Alright, Caroline, your turn," Rose said, gesturing with her head for Caroline to begin.

"Okay," she began slowly, pondering what she would say. "Never have I ever, been to Europe." Again, Damon and Scotty downed their newly refilled glasses. Stefan, Rose, Katherine, and Elijah also shot back their liquor.

"Wow, Elena, we completely suck," Caroline joked. Elena rolled her eyes with a laugh. "Okey dokey, you go, Elena," Caroline added.

"Ugh, fine. Um," she paused. "Never have I ever seen Jersey Shore."

"Oh my god, sweetie," Caroline gasped, "We need to have a Jersey Shore marathon one of these days."

"Ah, thanks but no thanks, Caroline."

"Why not! That show is amazing."

"Yeah, because hearing about orange people having sex is so wonderful. And that hot tub they have? Talk about a human Petri dish," Damon piped in sarcastically.

"Sorry Care, but I'm with Damon on this one," Elena said with a laugh and lied her head on Damon's shoulder. Instinctively, Damon wrapped his arm around her upper waist. News of Stefan and Elena's break up spread quickly, and it didn't take the Team long to figure out she had left him for Damon. "Alright, you go Damon," Elena said, nudging her boyfriend lightly in the side.

"Okay. Huh. Never have I ever," he paused. When Damon thought about it, there wasn't much that he hadn't done. "Never have I ever," he began again, "not been awesome." At his words, the rest of Team Awesome broke out in laughter.

"Damon, you're so funny," Elena cooed, and Caroline agreed with a rapid nod of her head.

"You guys laugh like I'm joking," Damon replied. The laughter died slowly, before plunging into a dead silence. "I totally am awesome," Damon said, jokingly.

"Right," Scotty drawled, "and OJ Simpson didn't kill anyone."

"Okay, for starters, there Probey, it wasn't murder; it was ruled as man slaughter. Damn Scottish; get your American history right. Second of all, I'm more awesome than you'll ever be in your puny human lifespan," he retorted with a smirk.

"Screw OJ; however you cut it, the man still fucked up big time. And choosing to ignore your insulting comment, you called me Probey. I take it you watch NCIS," Scotty observed.

"Wow, way to go, Scotty! You get a golden star," Damon drawled.

"I quite like golden stars, thank you very much," Scotty countered.

"It takes a very secure man to admit that," Rose interjected. The rest of the team looked at the vampire, utterly puzzled. "What?" Rose asked curiously.

"It's just a really awkward thing to say," Caroline supplied.

"Right," Rose replied uncomfortably, "duly noted."

"Oh, hey, none of you guys drank to my 'never have I ever', so epic winner right here," Damon said teasingly.

"Ignoring the insane guy rambling in the background, I'll go," Scotty said. "Never have I ever seen Twilight." Stefan was the only one not to knock back his whiskey.

"Wow," Damon drawled, "welcome to Fail. Population: Scotty and Stefan. How could you not have seen Twilight? It's like trying to bypass a boulder coming right down on your head."

"Well, I do have epic ninja skills, so I'd probably be able to move away from the boulder," Scotty said sarcastically.

"Ah, no. I think you're just behind in Pop Culture by like three or four years."

"I'll take that as a compliment. I'm quite proud of being able to say that I have not caught the Cyrus virus, the Bieber fever, or the addiction to Twilight."

"Yeah, okay. Whatever gets you through the day," Damon drawled.

"Rose," Stefan addressed, "explain to us again how this is supposed to be team bonding?" He directed his gaze towards Damon and Stefan.

"Yeah, I see your point." She turned to Elijah, "should we call it a night?"

"I think that would be the wisest of choices," Elijah replied with a nod.

"Damn," Damon muttered, "and I was looking forward to drinking the night away, taunting little boyo over there," he gestured towards Scotty.

"Come on, Party Boy, time for bed," Elena said, getting up, and pulling Damon up with her.

"Damon likey," he replied seductively. Elena gave him a look, and Damon quickly shut up.

"Yeah, I think I'm going to bed too," Stefan said distantly, rising from his seat and following the two lovers up the stairs. Stefan was still recovering from his painful loss of Elena. Caroline and Katherine swiftly followed the others' lead, and retired to bed.

"Well," Rose said clasping her hands together awkwardly, "I- uh, I guess I'll head up too." Getting up from her seat on the floor, she slowly made her way to the staircase. Why the hell was she walking away? She had barely had any time to be alone with Elijah, and here she was, throwing away a perfectly good chance. Before she could reach the stairs, a hand grabbed her wrist, and dragged her into a vacant room.

"What the…" Rose began, but was quickly hushed when a soft finger went over her lips.

"Rose," Caroline began, "it's just me."

"What are you doing?" She replied confused.

"Consider this Flirting 101."

"Come again?" Rose said, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, come on, Rose, it's so obvious that you like Elijah."

"It- it is?" She stuttered clumsily.

"Duh! Like the way you stare at him? Totally gives you away."

"Fuck," Rose whispered sharply, rubbing her hand over her face.

"No, no, no worries! That's why I'm here. Go back into that room, and flirt like there's no tomorrow," Caroline said with a smile.

"No, I can't," The elder vampire replied tentatively.

"What a mind can conceive, one can achieve. Rose, you've created this limit with Elijah; that you can never have him. I'm daring you to try to surpass that limit. I mean really, what do you have to lose?"

"What you're saying is completely justified, Caroline, and I wish it was that easy. But it's an idealist view; it's not as simple as one, two, three, you know? Additionally, I've never had a knack for flirting well."

"I wish there was some magical trick I could tell you about, but there's not really. Just go in there, be yourself, and if you feel confident enough, tell him how you feel about him."

"God, it's- it's- I'm scared to." She averted her eyes from the younger vampire's.

"Aw, Rose, don't be scared. I have a hunch he feels the same about you," Caroline said with a smile. Sometimes, a lie is better than a truth.

"Really," Rose said with a smile, "you think so?"

"There's only one way to find out if I'm right, isn't there?"

"Caroline, I must say; you are one complex teenager."

"Thank you," she replied, "I think?"

"You're welcome. But it should be me, thanking you. I'll go try to talk to Elijah now. Wish me luck?"

"Bunches and bunches," the teenager replied. And with that, Rose exited the dark vacant room, and made her way back to the parlor.

* * *

"Goodnight, Damon," Elena mumbled from her side of Damon's bed.

"No, no, not before a kiss," he replied. Letting a laugh escape her lips, she rolled over, so she was closer to him, and placed a chaste kiss on Damon's lips.

"That's better," he mumbled. "Goodnight, Scarlet," he teased.

"Same to you, Rhett," she mumbled in return, before falling fast asleep.

_Rain was falling heavily, making the already slippery concrete even slicker. Elena tried not to let the icy ground hinder her movements, so she kept her frantic running tempo. Her breathing was constricted from the cold, and her lungs were burning from her violent heaving. Raking a shaking hand through her drenched hair, Elena looked behind her quickly; to try to estimate just how much ahead she was of her chaser. Losing concentration momentarily, Elena slid slightly on the iced concrete ground. Her breath hitched in her throat, and her heart rate increased rapidly. After she had stabilized herself, she kept running. Her legs were numb, her ears were burning. Her body and mind screamed at her, begging for her to stop or slow down. She tried to silence her body, and kept trudging on. Her efforts did not give her much in return. A body seemed to appear out of thin air, and tackled her to the ground. As her shoulder hit the ground, Elena felt the impact hard. Her numb body was shot awake by the hard blow, and pain began to take the place of the numbness. Elena bit back a scream, and looked up into her attacker's eyes. Hazel orbs that seemed to be ablaze stared back at her. They drew her in; not because of their beauty, and not because they gave her a comforting feeling. No, these eyes were drawing her in for another reason: they were forcing her to. Elena couldn't tear her gaze away from the fiery hazel, no matter how much she tried. _

"_Wh- what are you doing to me?" She chocked, shakily. _

"_Keeping you still, Katarina," a raspy voice bit back in return. _

"_I- I'm not Katarina," she whispered. _

"_You might as well be. Same hair," he said, grabbing her hair sharply, "same skin," he continued, scraping a long jagged nail across her cheek, "same body," he persisted, as he dragged a hand over her torso, "you're her, Elena, no matter how much you deny it. And Katarina is an acquired taste; one that I do not possess." _

"_I had nothing to do with what happened between you and Katherine," Elena replied boldly. _

"_Huh. But you do, however, have something to do with the solution between Katarina and my problem," he said in return, licking his lips slightly. _

"_What are you going to do to me, Klaus?" She tried to keep her bravery, but it was dwindling quickly. _

"_I have a few thoughts, but the prominent one is," he paused as his fangs elongated and his scorching hazel eyes morphed into an even more crazed fiery red. "Need I say more, my dear?" Klaus taunted. Elena's heart pounded in her ears and she suddenly felt the eerie vibe of her world slowly closing in. As Klaus' mouth came closer, a metaphorical jagged tendril began to wrap tightly around Elena's strength and hope. Before Elena's brain had time to process Klaus' movements, his teeth sunk deep into her neck. It felt as if two sharp rusty nails were digging into her veins, sending shockwaves of pain all over her body. The pain was unbearable, but the Original kept sucking mercilessly at the young girl's neck. The world was swiftly turning hazy for Elena Gilbert. _

Elena shot up in bed with tears in her eyes, and a massive headache, worse than any migraine she had ever experienced. She dug the butt of her palms into her temples on either side of her head, and curled over, in pain. Hearing Elena shuffling in bed and her muffled cries, Damon shot up in bed.

"Elena,' he whispered, and pulled her into his chest. "What's wrong?"

"Dream," she croaked, "pain," she continued, "in head." Elena pressed harder, longing for any escape from this pain. "Damon," she cried, "what's happening?"

"Klaus," he muttered, kissing her on the top of the head. "I'll be right back; I promise." He made a move to slip out of bed, but felt a hand land heavily on his forearm.

"No," Elena whispered shakily, "don't- don't leave me." Her words were pleading, and Damon could see the frantic look in his girlfriend's eyes.

"Okay," he said gently, and pulled her back into him, and placed a light hand on top of her head. Elena let out a shaky breath, and her tightly shut eyes seemed to relax. "Elena," he began again, "I really do need to talk to Scotty. Let me just go get him, and I'll be back before you can even count to ten. Deal?"

"Alright," she whispered, and allowed him to slip from behind her. As Damon sped from the room, the pain which had been subsiding came violently rushing back.

"Fuck," Elena cried in a hushed tone, and grabbed agonizingly at her head once more. Seconds later, Damon and Scotty entered the room.

"My god, what's happened to her?" Scotty asked.

"She said it was a dream, and that her head was in pain," Damon replied.

"Klaus?" Scotty asked bitterly.

"That was my thought. Just, Scotty, can we fix Elena before we talk about this?"

"Yes, yes, of course," Scotty replied clumsily, "let's see here. Off the top of my head, I am not aware of a spell to stop this specifically, but there is a spell that will knock her out. She will not dream; she will just be unconscious for an hour or so. When she wakes up, the pain should be gone," Scotty explained.

"Do it," Damon simply said, crossing his arms. He hated seeing Elena like this; it killed him. Scotty walked over to Elena, and knelt down beside her, whispering gentle words in Gaelic. Soon after, Elena's sobs were hushed, and her eyes were closed.

"Finished," Scotty said quietly.

"Thank you, Scotty. But this whole situation is troublesome. Didn't Bonnie say that when she felt pain, I would feel it too? Or vice versa?"

"Indeed she did. But, the witch or warlock how initiated that part of 'destiny', can also take it away."

"You mean to say that Loretta blocked me from feeling her pain in this situation?"

"Yeah, I guess so. Why would she do that?" Scotty questioned, perplexed.

"Your guess is as good as mine, Scott," Damon replied distantly.

"Would Loretta do it, so you would be tortured watching Elena being tortured, and being helpless to stop it?" Scotty suggested.

"That doesn't sound farfetched, but I don't know the solid answer. Whatever it is, it's kind of scary, wouldn't you say?"

"Yeah, I would," Scotty replied. "We'll figure it out though, Damon. We'll get Klaus."

"I hope you're right; I really do. Because Scotty, I can't lose her," Damon replied, moving his gaze over to the unconscious Elena.

"I know it, mate," Scotty replied quietly, "and the Team will do everything it can to make sure we all make it out of this thing alive."

"I know it will. I just feel so useless and weak; I can do absolutely nothing to help Elena right now. If Loretta's goal was to torture me by having me be helpless, she surely is succeeding."

"Don't let her," Scotty replied. "We all have to be at the top of our game. I fear that the time for planning and talking and figuring things out is coming to an end."

"Yeah, I fear that too. And sadly, there's no turning back now; we've all chained ourselves to this, you know?"

"I do know. Kind of an unnerving thought though, don't you think?" Scotty said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Agreed. Well, I guess there's nothing else we can do, but let the games begin, right?"

"Right. Oh, and Damon, I know you want to keep Elena safe, but don't do anything rash, alright?"

"I'd do anything for her," Damon countered.

"That's the problem. Don't get me wrong, mate, your devotion is a noble trait, but in this case, it's also your Achilles heel. If I'm right in my hypothesis of Loretta's motives, you've already let your weakness help Klaus; and in turn, hindered Elena. If you really want to save her, try to keep your emotions and this mission separate."

"I see your point. I'll try to make my weakness my strength, but I can't make my emotions and this mission two separate things. My emotions are affected by Elena, and Elena is, to some extent, the mission, is she not?"

"Fuck," Scotty replied softly, running a hand through his perfect jet black hair, "I suppose you're right. May god help us." From behind his shirt, he pulled a Cross strung on a silver chain. He slowly put it to his lips, and kissed it lightly, before letting it drop down to his chest.

"I didn't know you were a religious man," Damon observed distantly.

"I'm not, really. Only in dire situations do I call upon the help of the Lord," Scotty explained, subconsciously fiddling with his necklace.

"Well that's a pleasant thought there, Probey," Damon said in reply. At the pit of his stomach, feelings of stress and fear were growing, causing him to feel nauseous. It was never a good sign when Damon, fearless Damon Salvatore, was afraid of something.

"It's the truth though, would you not agree? We've stepped up into the big leagues, with Elijah as our fearless leader."

"To whom much is given, much is expected," Damon replied. "Do you think we can trust Elijah with all of this? Because who's to say, he won't change sides?"

"I have known Elijah for some time now, and I can promise you: he will be on our side, even if it means he gets a stake driven through his heart."

"I'm trusting you on that, Scotty," Damon told him seriously. Scotty did not reply but gave him a sincere nod.

"Well, on a brighter note, Elena should wake up within the hour," Scotty said with a toothless smile.

"Thank you, Scotty," Damon said, "and let the games begin, huh?"

"Let the games begin," he echoed, before leaving the room quietly.

~Okay, so there is chapter 17. I'm so sorry it took me so long to upload; I had no ideas for this chapter. **Also, for some reason, my number of reviews per chapter has gone down. It's really disheartening to me, and doesn't give me much incentive to write the next chapter. BECAUSE IT TAKES ME HOURS TO WRITE CHAPTERS, AND ONLY SECONDS FOR YOU TO LEAVE A REVIEW; SO PLEASE DO SO! **Oh, and I am leaving for Australia tomorrow, so I'm not too sure if I'll be able to post anything while I'm gone. I'm definitely going to try, though!

**Remember, reviews are love, people! ;)**


	18. Of Threats and More Threats

Elena's mind was finally becoming clear. The black haze which had been placed on her was finally lifting. She could feel the tingling sensation at the tips of her fingers and toes. Elena's hearing was finally returning to normal. Slowly opening her heavy eyes, she was met with Damon.

"Hey," he whispered lightly, "how are you feeling?" he began to slowly rub her arm.

"Okay, I guess," she replied huskily, tiredly rubbing her head as she sat upright. "What happened, Damon?" she gave him an odd look; one filled with confusion yet mixed slightly with something else. Damon couldn't quite put his finger on it, but whatever it was, it did not settle well with him.

"You don't remember?" his response was partly a question, and partially a statement; one to help him in absorbing the odd information.

"No, not really," Elena said dreamily. "I remember running. It was freezing outside. I was running away from someone; but he-he caught up to me and tackled me to the ground. He started ranting to me that I was Katherine, and- and began to bite into my neck. After that, I don't know what happened. How did I end up here?"

"Elena," Damon said softly, "you were never running outside, with some guy trying to feed from you. You were here in the Boarding House the whole night, remember?" a look of panic made its way lightly into the vampire's eyes. "We were all playing 'Never Have I Ever.' Then it got late, and we went up to bed."

"No," she replied distantly, "that never happened. No," she whispered.

"Yes, Elena, it did," he urged, looking at her frantically. "You're not just joking with me Scarlet, are you?" he joked. He figured if maybe he said something dealing with last night, it might spark her memory.

"Why- why are you calling me that?" she asked, frantically, "I'm not Scarlet. I don't even know who that is."

"My god," Damon whispered, "you really don't remember anything."

"What am I not remembering!" she said annoyed. "I know exactly what happened last night Damon. It's you who doesn't remember." Her eyes glazed over in anger. Damon was utterly taken aback by her aggressiveness. "Some lunatic tried to kill me last night, and you're here accusing me of being insane!" she crossed her arms tightly over her chest.

"I'm not accusing you of being insane," he said in return, numbly.

"Yeah, you are. Sure, you never said it out loud, but the way you're looking at me is accusation enough."

"Fine," he deadpanned, "maybe you did go out last night. Maybe I'm just mistaken," he replied, trying to keep his temper to a minimum. "How about this: you get ready, and I'll meet you downstairs, huh?"

"Alright," she whispered, rubbing her upper arms with the opposite hands.

"Good," Damon returned blandly, and made his way to Scotty's room. Something was definitely wrong with Elena. He understood that the spell may have made her forget what happened exactly last night, but her forgetting the 'Scarlet and Rhett' bit was a different story. He had said that to her days ago; so in theory she should still remember it. The issue was very sketchy to Damon. When he reached the guest room Scotty was staying in, he banged on the door. It wasn't a friendly 'are you awake and available to talk.' It was the 'open the fucking door or I'll smash it down myself' kind of knock.

"Bloody hell," Damon could hear Scotty muttering as he made his way to the door. Whipping it open, he stared at Damon blandly. "What the hell could you possibly want at," he paused to look at the clock on the wall, "at four thirty in the morning?"

"It's about Elena," he replied. Scotty sighed, and opened the door farther so the vampire could enter the room. "What's wrong with her?" Scotty continued as he closed the door behind him.

"She doesn't' remember anything, Scotty."

"What exactly do you mean by 'doesn't remember'," the warlock asked curiously.

"What I mean, is that all she remembers is that fucking dream she had. She thinks it legitimately happened."

"Okay," Scotty began, "she remembers the dream, but she doesn't remember anything else? That shouldn't happen. The spell I put on her should only knock her out; not make her forget. Even if it had made her forget, you would think she'd forget the dream too." Scotty scratched the side of his head, trying to think of an explanation.

"Elena's also forgetting other things; things that happened days ago," Damon replied.

"It make s no sense, Damon." Scotty went quiet when a thought came to mind. "Whatever did this to her certainly wasn't the spell. The only way this could have happened, that I can think of, is that Klaus has gotten to her head. Because she has had these dreams for a while, and Klaus has some pretty hardcore power."

"You think that Klaus compelled Elena to forget. It's sadly possible, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Scotty replied numbly, "and probably true."

"Fuck," Damon said sharply. "Okay, uh, I- fuck!"

"How about we just go to Elena and assess the damage."

"Assess the damage," Damon deadpanned, "so now my girlfriend's a beat up car."

"Even a beat up Porsche is better than a brand new Ford, right?"

"Why I even come to talk to you is beyond me," Damon muttered, and walked out of the room. Scotty let out a small chuckle and followed his vampire friend in the hallway and then down the stairs. As they made their way down the star case, they could hear rustling and then the eventual smash of a plate. Damon looked at Scotty momentarily before speeding to the kitchen.

When he made his way into the room, he was paralyzed at the sight in front of him. Elena had just hurled herself at Rose, and pinned her to the ground. Elena moved her knee to the vampire's neck, and shoved it into her throat. The constricted shriek that exited Rose's mouth was blood curdling.

"Shut up!" Elena hissed at her. The voice wasn't hers. It was the voice of a demon; raspy and harsh. To hush the yelping vampire, Elena lifted her fist in the air, before bringing it down with uncanny speed and into Rose's mouth. Damon heared the cracking of all or most of Rose's teeth. The blood came spilling from either side of her mouth, making two separate pools of thick liquid. Damon sped over to the two girls and tried to yank Elena off of Rose. Elena clung on to Rose's arm, though, with a powerful grip, that even Damon couldn't break. Elena dug her nails deeper into the female vampire's arm as Damon tugged at the feral Elena. She dug them so deep, that she was literally scraping substantial amounts of skin from the victim. Rose's eyes shut tight, and tears were rapidly being born in them; then falling onto her bloody and bruised cheeks, and then finally dying on her destroyed lips. Finally, Elena won the battle with her boyfriend, and he flung him from her with such force, that he fell into the wall, smashing a hole in it. He rubbed at his head which had felt the full force of the blow, but couldn't move from his position on the ground.

"Now, Rose," Elena hissed, "where were we? Ah, yes, your death." She glared down at the vampire, with eyes so black, even the devil would run away at the sight of them. At her words, tears fell even faster from Rose's eyes. "Don't be such a pansy," Elena bit out at the vampire. "And why don't you smile? You're death is so very poetic; think of it as a dramatic interpretation of what's going to happen to your little friends." A wicked smile spread on Elena's face. From the side of her jeans' waistband, she pulled a small stake, and lifted it high above her head.

"And then there were six," she said sinisterly, and then plunged the stake into Rose's beating heart. The vampire's eyes bugged out, before glazing over with death, and her head that had violently lifted up when she had been stabbed, hit the ground heavily.

"Klaus has returned," she yelled, before collapsing to the floor. By the time the whole ordeal had ended, every resident of the Boarding House had made their way to the kitchen.

"Oh my god," Caroline shrieked, and ran to the two women. "Rose," she whimpered weakly, and hovered a shaking hand over the dead vampire's face. Elijah slowly made his way over to Caroline and helped her to her feet.

"Klaus has made his statement," he replied numbly.

"At the price of Rose!" Caroline yelled. She then turned to Damon, who had just made his way up to his feet. "This is your fault!" she screamed.

"My fault! How the hell is it my fault!"

'You were the first one down here; you could've compelled Elena to do this. It isn't beyond you Damon, to switch sides mid-game," Caroline crossed her arms.

"How dare you pin this on me! You little-"but Elijah put his hand up, to silence the rest of the sentence.

"This is not the time for us to turn against each other. A horrific tragedy has just happened. Rose is gone, and Elena is no longer safe to be around. It seems as though Klaus can still endanger us even when he isn't in the flesh. This is the time for us to plan our response to this. We have no more time left to stall," Elijah said.

"What are we going to do about Elena?" Stefan asked softly.

"We'll put her in the basement," Damon answered numbly.

"What?" Stefan replied, utterly flabbergasted.

"Stefan, it's either the basement or turn her. Both suck completely, so I'm picking the lesser of two evils."

"You really think this is what she wants? To be shoved into a basement?" Stefan shook his head at his brother.

"It isn't the time or place for Elena to turn. We have no time to teach her how to control her bloodlust; no time to make sure she doesn't escape and go on a killing rampage. At least with the basement we'll know she'll stay there, and that when this is all over, she'll still be able to live her life."

"The basement it is then," Stefan replied distantly.

"Help me carry her down will you?" Damon asked his brother. Stefan nodded, and picked her up by her feet, as Damon got her head. When they were a safe distance from the rest of the group, Stefan spoke up.

"Damon, you and I both know you didn't need my help carrying her; so what's going on?"

"I wanted to bring you with me, so you could promise me something," Damon returned.

"Okay?"

"Look, I know things aren't peachy keen for you right now, but don't do anything rash, okay? Because you have a knack for doing that and this isn't the time. Rose is dead, Elena is lethal, and Armageddon is gaining up to us. So, promise me that no matter how hard things get, you won't let go."

"I promise. And did you just steal that last line from Titanic?"

"There aren't many times in life where you can use that line freely, so I figured i might as well take advantage of the moment," Damon joked. Stefan rolled his eyes, and followed Damon into the cellar. Slowly dropping Elena to the floor, both brothers got a surreal feeling. Here they were, leaving their beloved in a dark room, basically shunning her for something that technically wasn't her fault.

"But in all seriousness, Stefan, don't fuck up, alright? Because I will personally make sure you don't have a life past this battle with Klaus…"

~Okay, so there is chapter 18! I know it was really, really, really short, but eh; vacation. Haha. **So, I wanted to thank everyone for reviewing! It's because of you guys I even decided to write this chapter while in Australia. I hope you continue to review this one! It would mean a lot to me! **And PLEASE TELL ME YOUR IDEAS FOR THE NEXT CHAPTERS! I don't have a solid idea, and would love your opinion!

**Remember, reviews are love, people! ;)**


	19. Of Incomings and Harsh Realities

Elena stirred in her unconscious state. A voice; vacant and barely even an echo, spoke to her in her head. The words were inaudible, but the whispers of tauntingly delivered mumbles were enough to send shivers eerily down her spine. Flipping her body over to the other side, the voice began to grow louder. It pounded in her head, the way an intruder might bang on one's door. Elena curled up in the fetal position, with the small subconscious hope that it might protect her from the trespasser lurking in her head. This little optimism was the only warmth around her. The ground Elena laid upon was sub-zero, and she felt the full wrath of it in her T-shirt and pajama shorts. The walls provided no mental warmth to the trapped girl either. They were simply concrete blocks staring at her coldly with their multi-shades of gray. The world around Elena Gilbert was a primitive one. It seemed as though the scenery Elena was now in, had crawled out of the Dark Ages. The vapor in the air hung low, causing for a sticky wet atmosphere in the basement, as the mold thrived on the walls, spreading itself both physically and by scent. That small hope that if she curled herself in a protective ball was shattered when the voice continued on its relentless journey through Elena's thoughts, growing in volume as it went. As Elena curled up even tighter, the voice whispered to her, _there is no need to be afraid, my dear; no fear. _The words flowed like a lullaby. Soft and filled with kindness, as the deep velvety tone of the voice, which was tinted with a German accent, seemed to nestle in Elena's heart and calm her.

_You did very well this morning, Elena, _the voice complimented, but it was tainted with a hint of calculating cruelty. When Elena's mind tried to respond, there was no voice to conjure; it was paralyzed and mute, in her subconscious state.

_The plan was executed flawlessly. The message you sent them was intended to be a very profound one, I will have you know, and you executed exactly according to my wishes.. Oh, descendant of Katarina, you have turned out to be more of a help than I had originally expected. _As his words hung in her head, Elena's mind was on overdrive. She had killed someone; a friend, for god sakes. The man speaking to her, she reasoned, was indeed Klaus. His light and warming words had thrown her off at first, but with the vampire's last monologue, he showed his true colors. No matter how subtly, the evil still radiated off the Original's words. 

_Tell me, did you enjoy the sensation of freedom you felt when I had taken over your body this morning? _Elena's mind felt some force be put upon it, causing it to mutter to itself "yes". Compulsion, the mind reasoned. _Of course you did,_ Klaus continued. _You loved the sense of freedom that I provided to you. _Klaus, feeling the mind of Elena's struggle to put its two cents into the conversation, returned to it its voice.

_I did love the freedom, _she admitted,_ but it came at the price of killing Rose and hurting Damon. _The guilt now pulsed through Elena's veins. How could she have done all of those awful things?

_My dear, _Klaus began with fake sympathy that Elena failed to pick up on; _Rose was never a friend to you. She kidnapped you; hurt you. She was not to be trusted. It was the safest choice for you to eliminate her, so her looming threat over you could be dispersed as well. _Although her mind mutely told itself that that wasn't the case at all, that damn compulsion made her agree. _As for Damon, _Klaus continued, _he doesn't love you, and he never will. He is a womanizer, dear Elena. He draws you into him, only to shove you away once he gets what he wants from you. If there is love anywhere in the cold heart of Damon Salvatore, it is so deluding, that it doesn't even translate into caring. _

_No, _Elena countered, _he isn't like that; and you're lucky if you're even half the man he is. _The fire that had dulled in Elena was now ablaze in protection of her beloved.

_Elena, it is always wise to choose carefully the words you speak to your elders; especially those who could kill you without a second thought. So, you get one chance to redeem yourself. _

_No way in hell am I apologizing to you. _She felt cheated already, for being used to kill Rose. Elena was not about to apologize to the bastard.

_Poorly chosen move, Elena. I do sincerely hope you enjoy watching your friends perish. _So, with that last haunting sentence, Klaus left the Gilbert's mind.

Consciousness slowly returned to Elena. The frozen floor was the first thing she felt. Blinking heavily two or three times, Elena sat up carefully. Her eyes didn't have much adjusting to do from their black environment of unconsciousness to the new dungeon-like one. Lifting her hand up heavily to rub her face, she smelled the blood on her fingers. Examining her hands, she found pieces of skin underneath her fingernails, which were stained red with blood. Elena's breath hitched, as her face turned icicle white, with horror. She leaned away from her shaking blood covered hands. Frantic breathing exhaled sporadically from Elena, as her chest heaved up and down at a frenzied pace. Tears formed themselves in Elena's eyes and streamed down her face. Tasting the salty wetness in her mouth, Elena wiped her mouth, and kept crying, until her head was throbbing from all the tears. Her heart was heavy with guilt and her body was shaken with the events of that morning. Elena Gilbert was a killer; and a brutal one at that. It made no difference to her that Klaus had possessed her. Rose had still died at the command of her hand.

Returning her gaze to her now horrific hands, she meagerly picked the skin out of her nails. The thought of having to do this, and _why _she had to, made her very insufficient at the job. A distorted look of pain, disgust it guilt found its way onto the girl's face.

"What have I done?" Elena whispered in a shaking voice. She raised her arms from the elbow down to the opposite upper arm, and began to rub up and down shakily. Elena was antsy. Her mind was going three times its normal speed, as her chest was constricted with stress, and her heart felt like it was shriveling up in her upset stomach. Ceasing her rubbing, she grabbed on tightly to her upper arms, her thumbs and pinky nails digging slightly into her frozen skin.

"Elena?" she heard a voice numbly call. Damon's voice.

"Damon," she replied weakly. Her voice sounded like a little girl's, who wanted nothing more than to crawl into the arms of her mother and cry.

"You're up," he stated blandly, as he came to the door.

"Yeah, I am. Damon, are you mad at me?" Elena knew very well that it was a dumb question to ask, but she was too curious of the answer not to.

"It's not that easy," he replied quietly.

"How's that?" Elena tilted her head to the side.

"Look, this is a difficult situation. Now that Klaus can get to you, we- I'll never be able to tell if I'm talking to you, Elena Gilbert, or some demonic knockoff. And something changed when I saw you attacking Rose like that, Elena. You were acting insane; and insane, coming from you, is very unsettling."

"It wasn't me though, who killed her," Elena protested frantically. She could lose the support everyone, but when it came to Damon, she was dependant on him.

"Elena," he whispered quietly, "this isn't easy for any of us. But we'd both be kidding ourselves if we really believe that it was all Klaus' doing." Damon's face turned to the impassive stone Elena had been all too familiar with in the beginning of their history.

"How can you even say that? Why would I want to kill Rose? No, Damon, I'm not like that; you of all people should know that." She crossed her arms in anger, and her eyes became a darker chocolate. Elena had been through too much today, to also have to deal with Damon rejecting her.

"Maybe Klaus was right about you," Elena then muttered to herself.

"Excuse me?" Damon's words came out in an icy bitterness; so precise, it was like a stab to Elena's heart every time he hit a new vowel or consonant.

"Klaus warned me that you might spit me out once you've gotten what you want from me. I told him he wasn't right. That he'd be lucky if he's even half the man you are. He wasn't too happy about that. But maybe, he was right, and I defended a hopeless case."

"Look," he deadpanned, "I hoped that when you told me you loved me, that you had invested more faith in me. It seems that you haven't, though. Yeah, I have been known to do a hit and run, but with you, it was different. I didn't want you to be gone in the morning. I thought you knew that and trusted me." Damon's eyes glazed over with an emotionless haze. Elena stared at him, shaking her head back and forth rapidly, and getting up from her seat on the ground.

"No, Damon, I do trust you!" she pleaded. "I do trust you," she whispered, and came up to the door. Damon stepped back as she came forward.

"You're a contradiction within itself," he told her. "In all honesty, Elena, I think I have to revaluate the relationship we've gotten ourselves into."

"Just because I have a small bit of distrust? Damon, you're not one to keep to your word; you and I both know that." Elena wrapped her hands around the bars of the door's window, and averted her gaze from the vampire.

"That's not even the main issue right now, Elena! You just _murdered _someone, and you're here lecturing me for who I was in the past." Damon shook his head in utter shock.

"You've killed people too, you know!" Elena retorted.

"I know very well, thank you very much. But that is who I am. It's in my nature."

"Maybe it's in mine too," she countered. After the words came out of Elena's mouth, her body froze. Had she really said that? It was as if when Klaus left, he left a virus in her- one that made her an aggressive bitch; in short, _Katherine. _

"No, Damon, you know I didn't mean it," she begged when she saw him start to turn away.

"I'm not sure what to believe anymore. Recently, you've been like two different people. You're Sybil, Elena, and that's dangerous. Just- just stay here for a while longer and cool off, okay?" Damon's voice was numb.

"None of this matters to you, does it? You're leaving me in this depressing hellhole; you can't possibly care about me or this relationship." Elena wrapped her hands tighter around the bars, until her knuckles were white.

"How dare you even say that I don't care? I'm keeping you here, so you can't hurt anyone else, or yourself. I'm trying to keep this all together, but you're just a rollercoaster of emotions."

"So what exactly are you trying to say, Damon? That I'm too much of a hassle? That all of these emotions are too much for you?" Elena asked rashly.

"What I'm saying, is that with you like this, we're too dysfunctional to operate. With you like this, it's like we're slow dancing in a burning room. We're doomed this way, Elena." His eyes swirled with a mixture of pain and annoyance.

"So the reason this isn't working, is because of me? Wow, Damon. That's completely ridiculous. You're the hardcore bad guy, Damon, you should like being doomed- Even though we're not. You are just being the difficult jackass you always are." Her eyes glazed over in hate. Whatever Klaus's influence was on Elena, was certainly working.

"You hit at me and hurt me because you think I'm this unbreakable bad guy. But I'm here to tell you, Elena, that I feel; and at the moment, it completely sucks. What happened to the girl who tried to find the best in everyone? And then tired to bring it to the surface? Where is the girl who had a smile that could make a whole room brighten up? Where, Elena, is the girl I fell in love with, huh?" he stopped to look at her, with wide, accusing and searching eyes. "I'm not the one being difficult and the jackass. I am trying to make the most out of this bad situation, hoping to reconcile once this hell is over. You, Elena, are just being a bitch, because you can. You don't understand; you're too blind to. Klaus has gotten to you, and he's changed you."

"Bravo," Elena drawled, "that was some speech. Where's the fireworks or the choir to top it all off, huh? Look,' she deadpanned, "I'm not blind. I know exactly who I am."

"Oh, really, you do, huh? Well, who are you, then? Because right now, you seem a hell of a lot like Katherine. "

"Just go," Elena replied hardly, "_leave._"

"No need to tell me twice," Damon scoffed, and turned on his heel and sped up the steps. Once Damon was gone, she stumbled over to the nearest wall, and slid down it, grabbing a wad of hair in each hand as she descended. Tears silently began to form in her eyes, as she gazed into the haunting distance.

"We should go bury Rose," Elijah spoke. A hint of sadness was audible in the Original's voice.

"Yeah," Damon replied. Elena then heard the shuffling of feet, and the eventual closing of the front door.

"Shit," Elena muttered and stomped her heel down on the concrete ground. Pulling her hands from her hair, she rubbed them down her face. When she opened her eyes again, Klaus was standing before her. He was an intimidating man. Klaus stood an estimated six-foot-one, and looked as if he could be a linebacker on a football team, with his broad stance. His hair was the lightest of blonde, only a shade or so away from actual white. His skin seemed whiter than the landscape of Antarctica. His eyes were the grayest of blues, so close to white, it was unnerving. Elena remembered his eyes being hazel in her dream, but figured he had probably altered a few of his features for the dream sequence. Klaus' features were sharp; they seemed sharp enough to actually break skin if one was to come in contact with his nose or chin.

"We're going on a fieldtrip, Elena," Klaus said coldly after a moment.

"No," Elena replied, "I'm not going anywhere with you."

"You have the choice, dear, of willingly coming with me, or being dragged. The decision is yours alone."

"I'm not willingly coming with you," Elena glared.

"I figured as much." Klaus then advanced on her, and picked her up with one hand, which he place under her arm, and dragged her up, and whipped her back onto his shoulder.

"Ow! That hurt," Elena complained.

"Good," was his simple reply. Klaus brought his foot to the door of the cellar, and shattered it to pieces with one little strike.

"How did you even get in here?" Elena asked numbly.

"Loretta," was his answer.

"W- Wait, Loretta is _here_?" Elena's eyes bugged with horror.

"Yes. But more specifically, she is already waiting at the burial site of Rose."

"N- no," Elena croaked in response.

"Yes," Klaus countered, and began to rapidly speed to a basically uninhabited part of the graveyard.

"Let the games finally begin," Klaus said with an evil grin plastered on his face. He then brought his captive down from his shoulder and onto the wet ground violently. Elena glared up at him, just in time to see a figure coming up from behind Klaus.

Her hair was ebony black, and was tied up in an elegant bun; one that one might find on a nineteenth century woman. Her dress clung tight from the bust to her waist, which then flowed flawlessly down to her ankles. It cut low at the top, exposing her whole chest and the tops over her voluptuously shaped milky white breasts. Looking up to the woman's face, Elena was caught in a dreamlike gaze. The woman was simply striking. Her face was white, or arguably whiter, than that of Klaus', and her lips were blood red. Her features were defined, yet still had the softness of a woman's delicacy. Her eyes, though; the eyes of this stunning woman were black as night. The orbs showed no compassion, no love; only calculating cruelty and immense pride. The woman leaned over to Klaus in whispered into his ear. Elena tried to listen in, but the woman was not speaking Elena's vulgar language; no, this woman was speaking a Romance language. Italian, Elena guessed.

When the dreamlike state had finally past, Elena was hit with the reality, that the woman standing before her was Loretta…

~Okay, so there is chapter 19! I'm so sorry for the late update; school has been giving me hell since I've come back from Aussie. Anyways, **please review! **Again, my reviews have gone down substantially, and it really makes me feel depressed. Was it because the chapter wasn't good? Or because you just didn't have time to review? **Again I will say that it takes HOURS to write this, and only SECONDS to review! So I'm begging you to please spare a second or two (: **

**Remember, reviews are love, people! ;)**


	20. Of Battles and Losses

**Quick Note: **_In my story, Elijah and Klaus both have the rings which protect them from the sun. _

The day was early in the remote section of the graveyard, which Elena was now held captive in. To be quite frank, it was_ too_ early: too early for the birds to chirp, and too early for the hideously premature risers of the morning to trudge half alive to their favorite restaurant for the early bird specials. Fragments of daylight showed through the sky which had been painted black during the night, but the hues of darkness were still displayed dominantly on the vast canvas above Elena. A fog hung low, enveloping the grass in its misty wetness. Elena twirled her finger around a piece of the emerald wildlife, and could feel the puny icy droplets of water roll off her finger.

As she tangled her pointer finger in the grass, Elena's mind checked out of reality, and to Damon. Damon Salvatore: her love, her hate, her joy, her sadness. That boy was as predictable as the weather. No matter how many forecasts there were of the elder Salvatore, he always found a way to prove the predictions and analysts wrong. Elena was now one of those horridly mistaken weather forecasters. She had predicted forgiveness but got blame; predicted comprehension of her situation, but only got skepticism. Damon was tearing Elena apart, and she didn't like it. Though she still loved him, her detest of him was greater. Damon had told her she was acting like Katherine, and she wasn't about to live down that vision. Elena had tried to live the adventurous life through Damon, but why would she do that, when she could live it herself? When the idea sunk fully into her mind, and her brain finally comprehended what her sporadic feelings had shoved together, she shook her head. No. Elena Gilbert would never be like Katherine Pierce. She was better than vengeance and hate. Finally ripping out the piece of grass she had been spinning around her finger, she flung it to her side.

Glancing up to the two vampire abductors in front of her, she noticed that the couple had ceased to speak in whatever Romance language they had been; Elena was still betting on Italian. Letting her now partly insane mind wander, she remembered Scotty mention that Loretta was from Scotland; not Italy. So why the hell was the witch not speaking in her vulgar language?

"I thought you were from Scotland, Loretta," Elena mumbled. She wasn't quite sure if she was actually directing her comment towards the vampire, but the gothic beauty took it as such.

"I am," she responded flatly, turning her ebony and unforgiving eyes to Elena.

"Then why were you speaking what, Italian?" Elena probed further. Watching Loretta's mouth twitch momentarily into a look of annoyance, Elena couldn't help but laugh mutely.

"So little pests like you, can't listen in," Loretta bit back in return, taking a step or so closer to the human, while clenching her ice white hands into fists.

"Oo," she taunted, "someone has secrets." Elena figured that if she was to die, she might as well go down with a little pizzazz. Loretta returned her attention to the Original.

"Can I _please_ just kill her now?" She said this bitterly through clenched teeth.

"Loretta," Klaus warned. "Patience is a virtue."

"Patience my ass," she mumbled in return. Klaus gave the witch a look, but didn't dare correct her. She was after all, capable of pretty much anything.

"We still need her" Klaus replied, and looked at Loretta with a look which seemed to silently remind the Scottish witch of something mischievous, judging from the smirk that grew on her face. Elena couldn't stop her heart from picking up pace. It pounded in her head; her ears; everywhere. They needed her. It wasn't the kind of need that would make one very flattered, and cause a blush to spread over their face. It was the sort of need which could be compared to needing a fish to fry.

"Oh, right," Loretta said with a devilish smile, "remind me one more time." At her words, Klaus chuckled.

"After we take care of Elijah and his little minions, we can use Elena for what she is needed for without interruption." When Loretta's eyes brightened, gesturing for Klaus to continue, he added, "And then after we're done with her, you get to," he turned to look at Elena, "dispose of her." Elena's breath hitched in her throat when she heard the words come out of Klaus' mouth. She was almost positive she wasn't going to see the daylight of her eighteenth birthday, which was a week and three days away. Soon after the conversation between the three, voices became audible in the not so far distance. They were voices which were familiar to Elena.

* * *

"Why was I the one left carrying Rose? She's heavy. Why not one of you Supermen?" Scotty complained.

"Sorry Scotty," Caroline spoke, "I don't really fall under the category of Super_men_."

"Yeah, and my kryptonite is carrying dead friends to their grave," Damon added. Though his words could be considered a joke, everyone knew, they were not meant to be.

"This is not the type of situation which calls for humor, the three of you," Elijah chastised numbly. Damon, Scotty, and Caroline all looked down; the ground suddenly becoming very interesting. When the five of them reach an area populated by only three or four graves, they knew it was the place to burry Rose. Stefan dug his shovel into a vacant spot. The tool sunk into the damp earth with ease.

"Let's start digging then," Damon said distantly. Sinking his shovel into the soil as well, he placed his foot on it, and dug it in deeper, and then flung the wad of dirt he had conjured up behind him. Damon's mind, though, was in another world. He kept replaying the conversation he had had with Elena over and over again, trying to figure out why he had said what he had to her. Alas, there was no logical black and white reason as to why. Had it been because he was paranoid of Elena's newfound capabilities of mass destruction? Or maybe his own fear of letting someone fully into his heart, like he had been doing with Elena? He didn't have the slightest idea. All that was certain was that he regretted what he had said. Elena was one of the only good things that had happened to him in the last one hundred or so years, and he destroyed it. There was no one else to blame but him. He breathed in and out deeply, hoping for a momentary break from stress and pain, but was granted no such luxury.

"Damon," he heard Caroline say from next to him, "I heard you and Elena fighting this morning." At this, Damon stopped digging, and turned to face Caroline.

"You did, huh?"

"Why were you blaming her for Rose's death? You know she didn't do it." No reply came from Damon. He simply returned his attention to the shovel, and began to dig.

"Damon," Caroline said softly. Damon kept digging, gripping his hands tighter on the wooden pole of the shovel.

"Why, Damon?" Caroline asked more harshly, and put her hand on the tool in Damon's hand, to keep him from digging.

"You want to know why?" Damon asked sharply.

"Obviously…" Caroline replied. Damon gave her a flat glare, but responded with no retort.

"I blamed her, because blaming it on Klaus didn't seem to be enough at the time. I blamed her because I was paranoid. Paranoid, because I had let her fully into me. Every time I had done that in the past, they either left me or died. I didn't want the pain of losing Elena down the road when I would be even more attached."

"Well, how do you feel now?" Caroline raised an eyebrow.

"Like hell," Damon admitted. Though the elder Salvatore had made his name by being the distant, well put together man, with a heart of icy tin, Elena and her influence on him wouldn't allow him to live up to his reputation this morning. When it came to Elena Gilbert, he was a tragically attached, disheveled man, with the kind of heart the Grinch had by the end of the story.

"Exactly. We're all scared of losing the ones we care about. But if you never start a relationship them, you're one hundred percent guaranteed to lose them."

"Huh; I never knew they came out with Profound Sayings Barbie." Damon smirked.

"I'm a limited edition," Caroline replied. "Hey, um, where is Katherine?"

"I don't know," Damon said with a shrug, "I haven't seen her since she left earlier to go hunting."

"We're done," Scotty then said from the opposite side of the grave. The group looked down at the dirt grave they had made for Rose. Elijah nodded with a heavy breath, and picked the limp woman up from the ground, and placed her in the ditch. Rose's pale body against the black dirt was an eerie scene. Damon, Scotty, Caroline, Elijah, and Stefan all gazed down at their vampire friend solemnly, each saying their own silent prayer to her. It didn't take long for them to cover her with the dirt they had pulled from the ground, because they hadn't dug the full six feet into the ground. Elijah flattened the last bit of dirt before turning to his followers.

"We should head back," he said quietly.

"Oh, what's the rush, Elijah?" an icy voice said. All five of them turned to see Klaus standing to the left of them.

"Klaus," was all Elijah could manage to say.

"Very good. I was afraid you would have forgotten me after all these years," Klaus countered sarcastically. Elijah did not reply, but rather glared at his ex-friend with a low growl humming in his throat.

"Hold in your violence for one more second. We want this to be an even fight, do we not?" Klaus raised an eyebrow. A moment after the devilish vampire spoke; four figures appeared from behind him. One form was Loretta, who found her spot next to Klaus. The two other new arrivals stood behind their leaders. The two followers could easily be compared to the minions who did the dirty work for a mafia leader. Their muscles were so ostentatious; it would seem they were on something stronger than steroids. The faces of the thugs were stony, only the thought of violence showing in their gray eyes.

Elijah narrowed his eyes at Klaus and began to charge at him with the force of a racecar speeding right after the signal to go had been made. Klaus responded in the same manner, and the two collided in the middle. Klaus made the first move, and shoved Elijah to the ground, scratching his long jagged nails across Elijah's body. A growl of pain escaped Elijah before turning the tables, and flipping Klaus to the ground. He slammed his fist at Klaus' pointy nose, and watched with pleasure as it shattered.

"That was for Rose," Elijah growled. Klaus let out a laugh, and a bloody and amused smile overtook his face. Digging his fingers into Elijah's chest, Klaus drove them both into the tree not far ahead of him. The two Originals hit it with a thud, almost pulling the roots from the ground.

As Klaus and Elijah fought an even battle, trading a punch for a punch, the rest of Team Awesome fought their own battles against Klaus' minions. Damon charged at one of the thugs with full force, tackling the large man, which resembled a troll, to the ground. Damon attacked his opponent's face with punch after punch. He brutalized the thug's features, until they looked as if they had been run over by a truck. Finally, the Klaus supporter found the strength to fight back, and flung Damon about fifty yards away from him. Both men got up slowly, trying to focus their triple vision. Unluckily for Troll, Damon regained focus first. He hurled himself at the trollish man like a kamikaze carcass, and met the thug's chest with his head. The blow momentarily immobilized the Klaus supporter, and he stumbled around in a sort of circle. Damon wasted no time with this blessed second. Shoving Troll to the ground by his shoulder, Damon leaned down, and put his one hand on his opponent's jaw, and the other one on the side of his forehead, and pulled them sharply in opposite directions. When Damon heard the snap of the neck, he sped to a tree a few yards behind him, breaking off a pointy branch, and then sped back to his victim.

"Have fun in hell," Damon snickered, and pierced Troll's heart with the branch. The thug's skin flooded with the hue of gray, and his fingers which had been twitching, fell limply back to the ground. From his crouched position over the now dead vampire, Damon brushed his hands on his jeans, and observed the world around him. Klaus and Elijah were still fighting an even battle, neither man keeping the upper hand for more than a minute. Both Originals looked as if they had bathed in blood before coming to this graveyard battle ground, forgetting to wash off the sticky and rusty colored substance from their bodies.

Moving his attention to Caroline, she seemed to be handling herself quite well. The black stretchy yoga pants she was sporting looked to be coming in handy, when it came to giving her opponent a hard kick to the stomach or leg. The battle between Caroline and Troll number two was certainly not an evenly matched one. When Caroline abused the other vampire's body, he could only reply with a blind whip of his arm, hoping to make contact with a part of Caroline's body. The man had no such luck, because Caroline dodged every swing. Finally fed up with the weakling she was 'fighting', she gave him a hard blow to the face with the shovel she had thrown to the ground when Klaus had appeared. When the metal part hit the vampire on the side of the head, it knocked the immense vampire to the ground with a thud. From the pocket on her pink jacket, Caroline pulled out a small piece of sharp wood, and stabbed it into the heart of Troll number two. His skin as well, went gray, and his eyes which had looked like they were drugged, shut heavily. Caroline then proceeded to take the puny stake from her victim's heart, and wipe it clean on the still wet grass. Damon silently told himself to ask Caroline about the stake and then turned his attention to Scotty and Loretta after Caroline had put the stake back in her jacket pocket.

Scotty and Loretta were in a very different kind of battle. Punches and scratches were replaced by spells. The magic inflicted on both supernaturals was painful. Scotty shot a spell to make Loretta's nerves so sensitive that even the slight blow of the wind would cause her great amounts of pain. Loretta growled in annoyance and pain, and shot back a spell that would cause a headache one hundred times worse than a migraine. They continued this torturous back and forth of spells, until both Scotty and Loretta alike, could barely even stand up straight. As Damon watched the witch and warlock, he couldn't help but wonder how Scotty was keeping up with, and arguably surpassing, the all powerful Loretta in this fight. Just as the thought had entered his mind, the sun finally broke through the now medium blue sky, and it did so with a massive shine. Damon turned to the bright light, and in turn, to Klaus and Elijah.

Klaus had just shoved Elijah to the ground for the umpteenth time, but this time, Elijah didn't bounce back up like before.

"You see Elijah, this is what happens when you try to beat _the _Original," Klaus said as he crouched down next to the shaking Elijah. "You can't beat me," he whispered into the younger Original's ear. "You never could." His breath was ice cold on Elijah's ear, and he could feel the end coming nearer. He figured it was only a matter of minutes before he would have to be put in his grave.

"Now, we're going to take this process nice and slow," Klaus drew out slowly, "because you only get to die once, yes?" A wicked smirk placed itself happily on the vampire's face as he spoke to his victim. "Let's start with a few cuts, shall we?" Klaus went on to take his jagged pinky nail and drag it from the top of Elijah's cheekbone all the way down to the center of his neck, not failing to split the skin open on the chin as he went. At this slow torture, Elijah shut his eyes tightly, trying to at least die strong.

"Now, a few bruises would pair nicely with your cuts, would they not?" Klaus raised an eyebrow in a taunting manner.

Meanwhile, Damon and Caroline tried desperately to save their fearless leader, but there was an invisible wall keeping them from getting to him. It could only be assumed that it was Loretta's doing. Behind Damon and Caroline, Scotty and Loretta were still at war, spitting spell after spell at one another. It was a gruesome fight, with the winner as clear as a black figure in the dead of night.

Damon watched helplessly as Klaus pounded at Elijah like he was a slab of meat. Blood poured from Elijah's mouth, as the gash running down his face from Klaus' prior torture bled as well. Klaus broke bone after bone in Elijah's body, until barely anything was left put together.

"And now, dear old friend the grand finale. Any last words?" Klaus smirked at Elijah evilly.

"Go to hell," Elijah bit out weakly, spitting a lob of bloody saliva at the eldest Original's face. After wiping the slimy rust colored mixture off of his pale face, he glared down at Elijah.

"Good riddance," Klaus said sharply, and then proceeded to rip the lapis lazuli ring from Elijah's finger. Both Caroline and Damon watched as Elijah burned to death. The vampire's once flawless face now lay in burned ruins, as his body shriveled up and eventually turning into dust.

"No," Caroline whimpered, "no. He- he can't be gone. He just can't!" Tears slid down Caroline's perfect face, before dying at her lips or falling off her face at the base of her jawbone. Damon, though he showed no emotion, was falling apart inside. He had grown to like Elijah more than he had ever expected. But it was a short lived friendship; severed by the cruelty of Klaus.

From the corner of Scotty's eye, he saw the death of his lifelong friend. Though his instinct was to cry, he knew he had to stay strong for the rest of the team and destroy Loretta. Scotty shot a spell at Loretta that disabled any spells she had set up. In this case, that was the wall between Klaus and Elijah, and Damon and Caroline. Scotty watched as Damon and Caroline ran in, before revoking his spell, allowing for the wall to close once more.

Damon glared with a fiery blaze at Klaus. Just as he was about to launch himself at the wicked Original, Katherine appeared; Elena in her grasp.

"No," both Damon and Caroline whispered in panic.

"Not yet, Katarina," Klaus bit out.

"Oh, but wouldn't it be such fun to let her watch the death of her beloved?" Katherine raised an eyebrow.

"You," Damon bit out, "you betrayed us. All of us."

"Of course I did, Damon," she drawled. "You and your pathetic little team didn't stand a chance against Klaus and Loretta. And I," she said, putting her hand on her chest, "was simply looking out for my best interest."

"And that was going to Klaus' side. Klaus; the man who you have sworn to hate?" Damon raised a curious brow.

"Look," she said flatly, "I don't have to explain myself to you." Katherine narrowed her eyes.

"Let me go!" Elena finally spoke, and began to flail and Katherine grabbed tighter to her doppelganger's tank top.

"For Christ's sake, Katarina, just tie her to the tree," Klaus said annoyed.

"With pleasure," Katherine replied with a smirk. "Stefan, the rope?" Damon, Elena, and Caroline all looked on with wide eyes as Stefan appeared from behind a cluster of trees. It was in this moment, that Damon realized he hadn't seen Stefan during the fighting. He figured he had been too caught up in the moment to notice his brother's absence, but the feeling of stupidity was still prominent in Damon Salvatore's mind.

"Stefan," Elena said weakly as Katherine tied her to the tree, "how could you do this?" the human bit down hard on her lip, as Katherine tied the rope viciously tight against her ribs. Damon too, felt that pain, and rubbed slightly at his side. He hated how he felt Elena's hurt, and how she felt his. When Katherine finished the final touched on the rope, she turned to face the group with a smirk. It was then that Caroline Forbes charged at the bitch who called herself Katherine Pierce. Whipping the small stake from her jacket pocket, she descended it upon Katherine's chest. But, it was in that moment that Stefan sped in front of Katherine and Caroline's stake plunged right through his deceiving heart. Stefan's eyes grew wide momentarily, before they closed heavily, never to see the light of day again. Watching his brother die, Damon couldn't help but feel a pang of torturous hurt in his chest. Stefan had been the only family Damon had left, and now, even he was gone. Damon fought back the tears, and noticed Katherine speeding away from the scene.

"No you don't," Damon muttered, and began to speed after his ex, but was stopped by Klaus. Damon growled at the man who had taken his friends lives. His eyes then fell to the ring that was on his middle finger of his left hand. He pulled it from the Original's finger, and watched with gleam in his eye, as Klaus began to burn.

"An eye for an eye, huh?" Damon chuckled, "Or in this case, a ring for a ring. You know, I'd get used to this whole burning thing, because that's what it'll be like in hell." Damon supplied the burning vampire with a smirk, before he turned into dust. He then turned his attention to the tied up Elena. While undoing Katherine's binding, he said:

"Can we talk later? Please?" Elena replied to him with a small nod, before walking over to Stefan's carcass.

Loretta watched as Klaus burned, and knew that she had been defeated; momentarily. Sending one last spell at Scotty, which sent him flying sixty or so yards away, she sped into the woods, in search of Katherine.

Scotty slowly got back to his feet, and ran over to Damon, Elena, Caroline, and the dead Stefan. He breathed a sigh of relief when he found the wall Loretta had put in place broken.

"Oh my god," Scotty whispered when he reached them. The three of them were all staring at Stefan's limp body. "Damon mate, I am so sorry."

"Thank you," Damon replied numbly. Looking down on his dead brother was something he had dreamt about for many years. But now that it was a reality, all he felt was pain. Stefan had been with Damon, in thought or in the flesh, for all of his life, minus five years, but that was beside the point. Stefan Salvatore had been Damon's brother; his last remembrance of the life he had had before Katherine. But now he was dead; dead because he had chosen deceit over loyalty.

"Yeah, Damon, I am so sorry too. I hadn't intended on killing Stefan. He- he just-"Caroline got cut off by Damon.

"It's okay, Caroline, it was an accident," Damon replied.

"I know, but still. It doesn't change the fact that I did it."

"No," Damon said distantly, "it doesn't. But it was still an accident; Stefan's own death wish."

Scotty could sense that Damon was done with the whole apologies and respects ordeal and Scotty himself could not think about death; Elijah's death, so he said, "Well um, what are we going to do about Loretta and Katherine? They both got away." All members of Team Awesome turned to look at Damon.

"Chasing after them would be a waste of time," Damon said. "My thought is to just go back to the Boarding House and regroup; see how we feel in a day or two; because the bitches won't be attacking any time soon. They have to rethink their whole entire plan."

"That sounds like a good idea," Elena said quietly. The other three nodded in agreement.

"But um, first, we should burry Stefan," Damon said, looking down at his brother. So, the four of them walked back over to the shovels they had dropped earlier this morning. The digging of Rose's grave felt like such a distant memory, but here they were, doing it for the second time, with Stefan.

After digging the grave next to Rose's and placing the body lightly into the ditch, Damon whispered:

"Rest in peace, brother." Scotty, Elena, and Caroline all echoed Damon's words, and then proceeded to cover the body back up with the dirt they had dug up.

"Well," Damon said weakly, "we should go back now, I guess."

"I'll take Scotty," Caroline said.

"I've got Elena," Damon whispered in reply. As Elena reluctantly climbed onto Damon's back, her emotions were on haywire. She loved him, she hated him; she was empathetic, she was apathetic. Damn Damon and his affect on her feelings.

Once back safely in the Boarding House, Damon turned to Elena.

"Hey," he said, grabbing her lightly by the wrist so she couldn't go up the stairs, "can we talk now?"

"Uh," she replied hesitantly. She looked to Caroline for her opinion, and was met with a supportive nod of the head and a small smile. "Sure," Elena finally said.

"Well, um, Scotty, how about we go upstairs," Caroline suggested, and took the young warlock by the hand, and led him away from Damon and Elena.

"Look, Elena, I wanted to say that I'm sorry for those things I said earlier…"

~Okay, so there is chapter twenty! Please don't hurt me if the action wasn't the best. **It was my first time writing a full on action sequence. **That being said, please tell me what you thought of this chapter! It would mean the world to me! And sorry for making you wait for the conversation between Damon and Elena. **Also, I'm sorry if some feelings of a character about another character's death were a little rushed or minimal or whatever. Next chapter I will be diving deeper into each character's feelings about the whole ordeal. **

**Remember, reviews are love, people! ;)**

e He HHHHHHHHE LADhe


	21. Of Reconciliation and Forever

"Elena, I wanted to apologize for those things I said earlier-"

"No," Elena interrupted, "I'm the one who should be sorry. Your friend had just died, and I didn't make the situation any easier on you. So Damon, _I'm _sorry." She wrapped her arms around her torso protectively and dropped her gaze to the floor. If this was out of embarrassment or guilt, she wasn't sure. She did know, however, that she owed Damon an apology; for everything. For her recurring bitchiness; her mind games she had played with him; for her constant pressure on him to become something that he wasn't; she owed Damon an apology for murdering his friend; she owed an apology for the guilt she had for his brother's death. Even though Damon owed a few pleads of forgiveness himself and had said a few harsh words, she too had spat out noxious remarks. There was no way Elena could escape that reality; it loomed over her agonizingly. She desperately wanted to keep her anger towards Damon, and not give into his alluring blue eyes, or the way he made her heart flutter, and especially not give up her opinion and beliefs just to get him back. But alas, love has a funny way of making people go against what is so obviously right. Love makes people do what the heart wants; not what the brain does. And Elena's heart pointed straight towards Damon Salvatore.

"Elena," Damon whispered guiltily, "You were going through the same situation, and I was being a jerk about it."

"Yes, you were a jerk," Elena admitted, but quickly added, "but I wasn't too kind either. I think we can both agree we were a bit out of line." Elena finished her statement with a small smile. Her damn heart and love had won the battle of where she stood on this matter. She figured there was no use in hating the one person she truly loved. All that would achieve would be making her life a living hell, and make Damon's no better than living without color.

"That's true," Damon said distantly, "but, don't you think we should talk about the things we said? I mean there must be some logic to why we said them." Damon leaned against the wall, bracing himself for her reply. He needed to know. Was there some truth behind what she had said about him; some dormant view of him that could be parallel to how she had felt about him when they first met? It was a taunting question, and could only be answered truly by Elena. As he looked into her chocolate eyes, though, they didn't convey the look of truthfulness. They possessed a vibe of 'I'll say whatever it takes to make this situation go away'. This was not the look Damon wanted; not by a long shot. If he and Elena were going to talk about all of this, they needed to truly talk; not have the illusion of problem solving.

"You know the saying 'some things are better left unsaid'? I think this is one of those things. We were both so flustered by Rose's death that we couldn't think straight. Even if there had been some truth or logic in our words, it doesn't matter. " Elena hated keeping things from people; especially people so dear to her such as Damon. She desperately wanted to tell him how what she had said did matter; it mattered a hell of a lot more than the hopeless conversation they were in now, that didn't even begin to graze the surface of their complex issues. Down in the cellar, she had spoken her mind. She didn't fully trust Damon; how could she? A year or so of genuineness does not make up for virtually a life of lies and jest. He had played girls the way some might take a breath; every second he had a new conquer hanging from his arm. It wasn't that Elena was bitter or jealous about that; Damon was now hers. What did eat at her though was the too real reality that Damon's lifestyle couldn't simply be gone in the blink of an eye. Old habits die hard; and Elena was sure how far his habit of being a player had decomposed.

"Well, Elena," Damon said numbly, "it might not matter to you; but to me, it does. What happened that morning isn't something that can just be let go." A shadow of the usually passionate fire that Damon possessed flew across his face, but disappeared just as quickly as it had come.

"You're depressed Damon," She pointed out to him with the small intent of steering away from the topic of that dreadful morning, "and rightfully so. You just lost your brother; that's not an easy thing." Elena gazed at Damon with empathetic eyes. She knew too well the pain of losing someone that was close to the heart. She could hardly fathom, though, how Damon must feel. Stefan had been in his life for one hundred and forty five plus years, and in the blink of an eye, he had vanished. As she looked at Damon, something in her heart snapped. His eyes were raw; his body numb; the gleaming vibe of blitheness was nowhere to be found. Damon was completely broken. To the untrained eye, he would've seemed fine. A little dull maybe, possibly tired, but they would never have guessed broken. In the time that Elena had known Damon, she became very fluent in the language of Damon Salvatore, and he most certainly was crushed. As crushed as a man could possibly be. No glimmer of hope sparkled in his eye, no ghost of a smile was apparent on his lips, and no fire was burning in his heart. Damon was a cold, numb, and shattered man.

"Not an easy thing," Damon echoed almost bitterly. He looked to the ground and began to rub his hands together rapidly. The mere reminder that his brother was dead was enough to send Damon off the edge. Sure there were times when he had disliked Stefan; even hated him. But no matter which way he tried to justify his loathing, Stefan was still Damon's flesh and blood; and therefore one half of him. His mind was in a state of utter shock. No logical thoughts could be made, and no reply to Elena could be formulated. All that there was, was a jumbled mess of cobwebs that seemed to be poisoned with the deadliest of venoms. It trickled into the bloodstream making it go cold; it dripped into his stomach causing the most horrid of stomach pains. Stefan was gone. Damon was the only Salvatore left. Although he was surrounded with friends- Scotty, Caroline; and enveloped by his love- Elena, he still felt more alone than ever. Damon had no one who knew him inside and out now, other than himself. He no longer had any constant person in his life; a person who when times were the worst, gave the support of a better tomorrow. Everything Damon had known; everything he had been before he turned, seemed to die with Stefan.

"Of course it's not an easy thing Elena," Damon finally said hoarsely, "but you know that already. It's tougher than that though, Elena; it's something you wouldn't understand." His ideas were a jumbled mess, numbly blubbering themselves out into the world for anyone to hear. Damon had experienced death before. It wasn't any new sensation or discovery. For many years, death was a familiar friend. But now, in this moment, death wasn't just a ghost tagging along for the ride, which Damon had forgotten was there. No, this was something else entirely. Death, more specifically Stefan's, seemed to be the end. Unlike before, death stood for more than just its obvious connotation. In this case, death stood for change; forced change. Life for Damon, and to an extent Elena and the rest of Mystic Falls, would be changed forever. Personalities would be altered; morals of the people would shift. Until this moment, Damon had never fully grasped the concept of the ripple effect death has.

"I know I have no way of understanding, so explain it to me. I want to be able to help, and I can't do that if you won't open up to me." Elena took a step towards Damon so they were only a few inches apart, and placed a soft hand on his shoulder. It felt right for her to be in this position. For her to touch him, gaze at him, helping him; love him. After all of her blind searching, Elena had finally found the missing piece to her puzzle. No longer did she care about what wicked things Damon had said or done to her. All that mattered, and all that ever would, was them being together.

"Look," Damon replied slowly, "it's not that I don't want or appreciate your help. The wounds are just too new to be able to talk about it just yet. It all happened so fast, I don't even know what I feel about it quite yet. Someday, we will talk about all of this. That could be tomorrow, that could be five years from now. It'll happen at some point or another, but not today. Today is reserved for us solving our problems." He brought his hand up and wrapped it around hers, which was still lying gently on his shoulder. A small smile found its way onto Damon's face, and his eyes brightened the slightest bit.

"And that's okay with me. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. Just know that I'm here for you; always. I know that sounds totally cheesy, but it's the truth. As for our problems, in all honesty they don't matter. We technically don't even have a problem. We went through a rough patch; big whoop. We'll get over it. Well, I've already forgave and forgotten. I don't know about you, but too much has happened now, for a few mean words to hurt us." Elena smiled at Damon. It was as simple as she had put it: life happens, and all people can do is go with it.

"You're right. Too much has happened for it to ruin us. But just like with- with Stefan, we'll talk about it at some point. But for right now, we're finally at peace. So, Elena, what now?" Damon raised a dark eyebrow at her, and anticipated her reply.

A mischievous smile pranced onto Elena's lips, and she leaned in closer to Damon and whispered: "Can I keep you?" Her breath tickled its way down Damon's neck, and he could hear her taunting pulse in his ears. The sensation was one of total ecstasy.

He chuckled deeply, causing Elena to feel a vibration on her chest, and Damon whispered back: "Forever." With that, he pulled Elena in closer to him, and encircled his arms around her tiny waist. He tilted his head, causing his dark locks to fall in his eyes slightly. Damon's blue eyes were electrified by the shadow of his raven hair, and Elena felt as if she was melting into utter bliss. A tiny smirk appeared on Damon's face, and he leaned down and kissed her. It was more than a kiss. It was a quiet promise- a promise of faithfulness; a promise of eternal love. A silent promise of forever.

~Okay, so that is chapter 21! **The last chapter of Unholiest of Tortures. **I really hope that you guys have enjoyed the story. I know it had its rough parts, but this is my first completed multi-chapter stories, so please be kind. Haha. And I know that this chapter was extremely short, but I thought that this would be a good place to end it, and I didn't want to drag it on longer than it needed to be. The question now for you readers is: **SHOULD THERE BE A SEQUEL? **I'd be overjoyed to write one (and make it ten times better than UOT) but the decision lies in your hands. Let me know in a review! Again, I hope you guys have enjoyed this story as much as I have loved writing it! **I also have a new story out called "Caught In a Fading Daydream". **It's a multi-chapter story, and I'd love it if you'd check that out too! (:

**Remember, reviews are love, people! ;)**


	22. New Story Preview: Guessing at Truth

**Summary: AU 1789. Elena is the daughter of a noble, who has been betrothed to Stefan Chevalier, a powerful lord in Louis XVI's court. When Elena is sent to Versailles, she notices the mysterious advisor to the King, Damon Salvatore. When she asks around court about the alluring Englishman, she finds his past is not so bright. With the pressure to please her father and family, will she be loyal to Stefan, or will the allure of Damon be too great for her to resist? **

_Guessing at Truth: Preiview_

1

The sun was a magnificent fire of burning blitheness. Rays touched Elena's skin with remarkable tenderness and her body felt cleansed of all strife and pain. As she tickled her fingertips against the tall grasses, she couldn't help but smile; today was simply lovely. The large canvas of the sky was painted softly with the sweetest of blues, and seemed to envelope the part of the world it covered in gentleness. It was a quiet day; a day for contemplation; a day for no more than enjoyment of the pleasant things in life. Letting a content sigh pass her lips, Elena fell back lightly onto the supple grass. Her pastel pink Mantua sprawled out on either side of her. As she lied looking up at the pleasant dancing sky, she didn't even seem to notice the tight grip of her corset around her torso. Placing her hands lightly on top of her belly, a rush of sickening realization passed over her. As of two days ago, she was of the ripe marrying age of nineteen. Elena knew quite well her father would marry her off soon enough; it was just a matter of whom. Form the time she was a young girl, Elena had sensed her father was not too fond of her. She questioned his words too often. When he said "it serves those Brits right to have a revolution on their hands", instead of agreeing like a good little girl, Elena had asked why. She could clearly remember her father staring at her as if she was a wicked creature coming to take him away. His eyes had shown no support for his daughter's curious little mind. No, all that had been present in those hollow eyes of Charles Gilbert was distaste. Charles did not even answer her question. He had simply turned his attention to his younger daughter Caroline, awaiting her reply. Being the sickeningly obedient girl she was, Caroline had sweetly replied "oh yes Papa, those British deserve it". Watching her daughter's face flush with annoyance, Marie Gilbert had put a hushing hand on Elena's shoulder. From that day forward, she had detested Charles and Caroline. It was only Marie and her brother Jeremy that Elena was fond of. Sadly for her though, Charles much loved his son; leaving Elena as the outcast child not loved by Charles Gilbert. Jeremy was the perfect older brother: supportive, humorous, kind, and most importantly to Charles, obedient. Someday when his father passed on, Jeremy would inherit the Gilbert property. Elena could feel that Jeremy would be the perfect lord; he was everything anyone could ever want. He would marry well, and continue the Gilbert name. Her sister too, was virtually perfect to everyone but Elena. To Charles's eldest daughter, Caroline was too weak and delicate. She agreed with whatever men said, no matter how ridiculous their words. Elena knew hauntingly well that Caroline would be the ideal wife and mother. Charles would find a powerful and willing noble to marry Caroline to, and she would bring great pride and prosperity to the family. Caroline was commonly compared to Marie Antoinette as well. Though the Queen was not much liked, the people still admired her beauty and fashion sense. That only left Elena, the disappointing child; the child who had always been too focused on playing in the gardens rather than studying the fine arts. Elena was the total opposite of her sister. Her hair was a thick pin straight the color her mother sometimes referred to as dirt, eyes to match the hue of her hair, and skin too tan for likes of the nobility.

Closing her eyes, Elena tried to hold back threatening tears. She was a failure; to her parents, to her family name, and to herself. It was times such as this Elena wished she could disappear; crumble into ashes that would swiftly be blown away by the wind. At least that way she could not let anyone down. Gazing back up at the sky, it didn't seem as pleasant and inviting. Her surroundings seemed grayer, and gave the notion it didn't want Elena to be in it. Curling onto her side, Elena held her stomach tightly. Watching a small bug scurry up a piece of grass, she made a quiet promise to herself. When her father did find a suitor, Elena would not protest or ask "why him?" she would simply oblige and go through with it. It seemed god did not wish her to be naturally happy; she was doomed to live contentment through others. She imagined though, how pleased her father would be when she married whatever lord her father found. He would smile at Elena, with a twinkle in his eye, and be proud of her. Charles would embrace her and whisper something to the likes of "I love you, my daughter". Elena could imagine the sensation of breathing in her father's scent as he enveloped her in a hug of passion and joy, and know she had finally pleased him. The hope was not out of reach, and that helped to lull Elena's ever so present feeling of disappointment.

"Elena? Elena, are you up here?" She heard a voice call from her spot on the hill. Perching herself up on her elbows, she saw her sister approaching her.

"Elena," Caroline said in shock, "what are you doing! You are getting grass stains on the lace of your sleeves!" Caroline put a pale hand to her lips, and quickened her stride over to Elena.

"Caroline, be calm," Elena replied coolly, "it is not that huge of a deal. I'm due for a new set of dresses anyway." Elena shrugged her shoulders lithely, but still got up from her place on the ground.

"Oh, Mama will not be pleased," Caroline whined with scrunched brows as she fingered the lace on Elena's three quarter length sleeves.

"It is barely even noticeable," Elena replied dismissively. Silently she knew her mother would be in a fit of hysterics when she saw her daughter's dress, but Elena was not about to admit that to Caroline. As if to scatter the thought, Elena began to walk back to the house. Caroline scurried to catch up to her older sister.

"Elena, I did come up here to see you for a reason," Caroline said once she had caught up. When she had spoken she seemed almost timid; as if the news she brought would actually force Elena to kill the messenger.

"Is that so?" Elena replied numbly. She continued to walk, not even meeting her sister's gaze.

"Yes, Elena. Papa wanted me to find you, so he could tell that, well, that he has found you a husband." Caroline's voice sunk into a whisper, and she dropped her stare to the green ground. With those words floating in the air, Elena stopped dead in her tracks.

"I am engaged?" The words seemed strange coming from Elena's mouth. Though it was inevitable that this would happen, she was still not prepared. Soon, she would be someone's wife. And later, god help her, someone's mother. When no response came from Caroline, Elena probed farther, "to whom?"

"Lord Stefan Chevalier"

* * *

**Note: in this story, Damon and Stefan ARE NOT brothers. **

So this is a preview to my new story _Guessing at Truth_. I suppose you could call it a partner story to _Unholiest of Tortures_, but it is more of an idea based off of UOT. Many people said they enjoyed the historical segment of that story and wanted more, so I figured why not write a whole story set in the past? It would've been logical to set it in the 1860s, but the 1780s has fascinated me recently, so I hope you don't mind. Anyways, **please review this to tell me what you think! I won't continue probably if I don't get many reviews. ** _Plus, I will be writing a legitimate sequel to UOT, but want to take a break from that plotline for a while. _Don't forget to review!

**Remember, reviews are love, people! ;)**


	23. Sequel: Unhallowed Desires

*On this story for a limited time only; used only for promotional purposes.

_November 3, 2011_

_Isn't time supposed to help? Is it not supposed to mend wounds, and calm rampant minds? All time has seemed to do is mess everything up. I guess it has to change things—I'll live with that. But take away life as I've always known it? I don't think that's fair. How could it be? Time is supposed to be on my side—or so I stupidly believed. Life's made me so cynical; happiness even seems like a scheme of the devil. How awful is that? I can't understand why. What happened to happily ever after? I'm just spinning my head in circles, I suppose; maybe there's no answer to any of these questions. I don't know—I don't know what I'm even saying anymore. I don't know who I am, anymore. _

Elena tapped her pencil against her notebook, staring at the marked-up paper. Her words seemed pointless on the page—it could be used for something so much better. But here it was, being filled with the jumbled thoughts of a teenager and her problems. Staring at the words, Elena realized she couldn't even admit to herself what she was even venting about. Her cryptic words and carefully thrown-together sentences didn't even begin to voice the raging emotions swirling inside her. Sinking her elbows into her Indian-crossed legs, she ran her fingers through her hair. Elena knew what was bothering her; what had been plaguing her for months, but she couldn't come to terms with it. If she did, that would mean she had given into the very truth she never wanted to see true.

Damon.

That was her problem. The root of all her strife and pain. He had told Elena forever—she had believed him. But then damned time had to go and twist Damon's mind into recessive submission, and steal him away from her; pulling him back into the life he had lived before they met. Why?

It doesn't matter, it matters entirely.

Paradoxes swarmed through Elena Gilbert's head, and she wanted to scream. To tear her hair right out of her skull, in attempt to let her inflating emotions free. Every breath she took was constricted; because of stress, of pain, of fear, of silent hope. Elena knew her feelings may be seen as overdramatic—_but who is to say what is dramatic and excessive? _she retaliated in her mind. Pressing her palm to her cheek, she tapped at her jaw with her thumb. She could feel her tense jaw grinding tooth against tooth, and she knew she had to stop this. Stop caring about Damon, stop worrying about his safety, stop thinking of him. Those blue eyes that sent her on mystical daydreams to grace-land, his midnight hair that somehow always fell right, no matter what the circumstance. She quit her tapping—staring out the window now, frozen.

"Elena?" It was Bonnie. Elena tightly shut her eyes. Why now, did she have to be here?" There came a knock at her doorframe, and Elena knew she couldn't leave Bonnie standing there. Clearing her dry throat, she lifted her head from her hands and turned to face Bonnie.

"Yeah," it was a lagging question, a dry form of hello. Bonnie shook her head slightly at her friend.

"It's been a month, Elena." She knew Bonnie was speaking of Damon. So what if it had been a month? That was far from justifying any point.

"I know," Elena replied vacantly, slightly shrugging her shoulders.

"You can't keep yourself locked up in your room for the rest of your life," Bonnie laughed mildly, "that's no way to move on. Come on, Elena, would it seriously kill you to experience life again?" Bonnie made her way over to Elena, sitting on the windowsill next to her.

"Maybe," Elena mumbled, "you never know."

"Okay, Elena, listen to me: I don't care how much you'll hate me, but I'm taking you out of this house. You, me, lunch; now." Bonnie had to be joking.

"What about you, me, lunch; later?" Elena groaned, leaning her head on the white wall behind her.

"Nope, now. Come on. This isn't healthy." Bonnie grabbed hold of Elena's hand, tugging her from her position on the windowsill. Finally on her feet, Elena reached for her pencil and notebook.

"Don't even think of bringing that," Bonnie warned, "you honestly can't have _that _many feelings you need to flesh out."

"Fine. But just know that if you were a psychologist, you'd be fired for cruelty."

"Consider this… radical therapy." Bonnie gave a little grin, and pulled her friend towards the door.

* * *

"Well isn't this nice?" Bonnie cheerfully asked, sinking herself into her seat. Elena scanned the scene around her. Looking up, the sun was a white gold—she couldn't remember the last time she had been in this kind of warmth for longer than ten minutes. Figures danced and swarmed in the streets around her, and she felt oddly a part of life again.

"Yeah, this is nice," Elena replied mildly. All she could think of, despite the commotion, was Damon. Was he safe? Was he happy? Was he, god forbid, in love? The last question sent her heart plummeting into her gut.

"When's the last time you were at Café Lemont?" Elena inwardly chuckled at the tacky French name, but said nothing on the subject.

"It's been a while," Elena replied, nonchalant. Bonnie said nothing in return. The girls sat in silence, sipping their waters as a distraction from the dead air.

"Do you ever think about them?" Bonnie quietly asked. Elena cocked her head.

"Think of who?" She felt her heart begin to pick up, pounding recklessly against her ribcage. Leave it to Bonnie to destroy the silence.

"Katherine and Stefan. I mean Stefan is gone—you loved him once; that must bother you at least a little. And Katherine's still out there… unnerving." What was Bonnie trying to do?

"Well—I—I don't know, I guess so, yeah." Elena shrugged. "Stefan was a part of my life, but he surely wasn't the love of it. He lost my love when he decided to side with Katherine."

"The memory, I'd think, would be enough to trigger at least some feelings towards his death." Bonnie's pestering remarks were doing a fantastic job at keeping her mind out of the realm of Damon.

"Of course I'm sad he's gone. Of course I am…" Elena paused. "I don't know, it's just that Stefan never really was mine. We both loved a dream of each other. So I can't say that I'm totally broken."

"Do you miss the dream Stefan?" Bonnie's voiced lowered. Elena sighed.

"Why are you asking me this, Bonnie? What happened to 'let's have a fun lunch'? Didn't you get me out of my house so I'd stop moping over the past?" Elena raised an eyebrow—much like Damon had done. Damn the marks he left on her.

"You've never told me any of your feelings about Katherine, Stefan, or even Damon—I just want to know. I can't help or distract you, if I don't know what I'm saving you from." Elena had to smile.

"Thanks, Bonnie, that's really sweet of you…"

"I feel a 'but' coming on. What is it, Elena?" Bonnie stared at her friend with mild amusement.

"But, I don't need to be 'saved' from these thoughts. I need them, so I can come to terms with them."

"Doesn't mean you don't need help though, Lena."

"Yeah, I guess so."

"So Katherine—"

"Is not threat or worry of mine unless she makes herself one," Elena said shortly. She could feel her hands begin to tense.

"Understood." Elena knew Bonnie was dying to ask about Damon. It was an inevitable conversation.

"You can ask, if you want to," Elena mumbled in return.

Bonnie sighed, "alright. What happened with you and Damon? Everything seemed so—"

"Perfect? Yeah, I thought it was too. But apparently not. Ever since his brother died, Damon wasn't the same. His humor wasn't as keen or witty, his smile didn't have the same effect; he wasn't Damon. I don't know what he was, exactly. He stayed though," Elena smiled, "he was strong. He put his pain aside, and focused on the future; on me. But then one day, he just vanished. He left a note, but as you know, Damon isn't necessarily the best with words." Elena paused, inhaling deeply. She had to tell the story to someone—get it off of her chest. "He said that it had become too much. He couldn't live in a place that reminded him of his past. I can't say that I blame him, but I don't understand why he couldn't have taken me."

"It seems so unlike Damon to just give in." Bonnie's eyes tenderly looked at Elena.

"It was. But then again, so is everything Damon became after I saw him in 1861." Elena shrugged, and Bonnie nodded in quiet agreement. The witch wondered what would have been if she hadn't sent Elena into the past. Maybe her friend wouldn't be so broken.

"I'm sorry, Elena. It's all my fault. If hadn't had sent you into 1861, none of this would have happened." Bonnie looked to the table, pulling at her bread.

"Just because it turned out darkly, doesn't mean I regret it." Elena gave a soft smile, reaching her hand across the table to lightly pat Bonnie's.

"I still feel awful."

"Feel awful if you want, but know I don't blame you for anything. What happened is between me, Damon, and his emotions. Maybe it was inevitable that he'd leave. He was born for leaving."

"Maybe so, but Damon wasn't meant to leave you—that I know." Bonnie smiled, and Elena returned it sadly. If Bonnie was right, then where was her Damon? Why was he not here beside her?

* * *

Damn my crazy imagination. I have like five multi-chapter stories I should be working on, and here I am starting the sequel to Unholiest of Tortures. I know this is short—consider it a preview/a mild filler chapter of background information. Please give me any suggestions you have for where this story could go: I'd love to know what you think!

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_Be good and review! _


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